The Past Is Called The Past For A Reason
by Taylor-EL
Summary: [Abandoned] After running away to Lima, Brittany Pierce starts to build a new life for herself whilst keeping anyone from knowing her and her past. But when Santana is insistent on getting to know her, can she keep her walls up or will she finally learn to trust again? (Brought over from other account)
1. One

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Glee**

 **This story was moved from my other account (LopezPierce94) but I decided to just move it to my main account so all my stories are together. This is something a little different. It does have brief mentions of sexual abuse so if the subject makes you uncomfortable to read or it is a trigger for you then I wouldn't suggest reading this story. When the chapter does have mentions of it I'll mention it in the author's note at the top of the page. I hope you like the story. Here's the first chapter :)**

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Travelling wasn't something Brittany had ever thought of doing. She had always planned to stay in Phoenix through high school and College then maybe think about moving after that to somewhere close by after meeting someone, but then again things change all the time. Her whole life had changed in the past two years and it was definitely not something she liked putting up with. You think she enjoyed hiding how she really felt around school? Hiding things from her friends just so they wouldn't feel sorry for her? No. Did she really want to be the person living with her stepdad instead of her own mother? No. She would have gone and lived with her father but he moved away a week before it all happened so that plan was gone before she could even think of it.

Brittany was stood on the platform looking at the train with her backpack on one shoulder holding onto it. She looked over her shoulder and around her to make sure she wasn't being followed before walking up to the train stepping onto it. There weren't many people but that was a good thing. She didn't know if she could deal with other people right now. Travelling away from your home is something everyone has to do at some point, but she never anticipated it being this soon. She took a seat at the back of the train sliding into the seat looking out of the window. She should feel relief as the train began to move but she didn't. She felt freer but also she felt fear. It wasn't an emotion she liked feeling but sometimes you can't do anything about it. Feeling scared is nothing anyone should feel, but it's the emotion everyone feels at one point or another.

How is it that one person could instill so much fear onto another? Brittany shook her head trying to rid the thoughts from her mind whilst opening her bag, taking out her drink and taking a sip. She let out a sigh. Was running really the answer here? Shouldn't she be back in Phoenix fighting everything that was going on? Her mother would want her to fight but her father on the other hand was just as bad. He ran when he saw the first sign of things getting hard which is why he moved away. He needed to get away and start new. That was his, what, fifth time? He'll most likely last there for a year at most before moving again so there was no way she could count on him. Luckily she had no siblings to worry about or she'd be back there fighting for them. It wasn't the end of the world that she was moving out of Phoenix. New could be good, right? New meant that she could start fresh without all of this worry and fear. She needed this.

Brittany looked away from the window noticing a man sitting not that far from her. He seemed to be watching her with a great curiosity which, for some reason, intrigued her. He looked a bit older than her but she was not going to find out who he was no matter how curious she was. This new start was real which meant keeping to herself. She had to do that or else people could find out about her and opening up was not her forte. She couldn't; not after everything that had happened. She had to make sure he wouldn't find her. She had to stay hidden. She couldn't go back to...to him. Brittany had to force herself not to cry since she was in public. She would be stronger than this. She had to be strong. With that thought in mind and a quick glance down the train, she took a jumper folding it up putting it under her head closing her eyes. She felt as though she hadn't slept in weeks. Brittany knew she deserved a quick nap without feeling scared to do so and it proved how tired she was since within a minute of having her eyes closed she fell asleep, hoping that whatever town was at the end of the line was far enough away from Phoenix for her to feel safe.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Santana awoke to the sound of a faint breeze and birds chirping from outside. She was used to waking up early due to the fact that she did it every morning before going to school. She had to so that she was able to keep herself fit to keep up with the Cheerios routine at school. Her coach, Sue Sylvester, wanted her team to be the best of the best which meant hours upon hours of practice. The problem was that she didn't think anyone was good enough because, in her eyes, she was the best. She was the only one who could be the best which made it so hard for the rest of them to even be noticed by her. Being the Cheerio's Cheerleader Captain made it slightly easier to be liked by her but not much more. She was just not seen as a loser.

Getting out of bed she went to her closet and got her running gear out putting it on which, generally, only really consisted of some sweat pants and a t-shirt. After tying her trainers up she grabbed her iPod and headphones putting them on before walking downstairs and outside looking out onto the street. Santana smiled and turned her iPod on and began running hearing the song Photograph by Ed Sheeran. She loved the song so running to it wasn't that bad. The weather wasn't that bad generally that morning with it being a clear sky with a small breeze. There was nothing worse than going for a run with it raining or it being too hot. Getting home either sweating more than usual or being soaking wet wasn't something she enjoyed since it usually consisted having horrible hair that morning or taking an extra shower to get the sweat off of herself.

Running through the park Santana noticed that no one was about It was deadly quiet but that was a good thing since it meant no running around people or having others annoyed at you for running and getting in their way when actually it's them getting in your way. As the song changed Santana hear the sound of the train coming up to the station. It wasn't like she knew the train times, like at all, but she knew that this particular train turned into the station at exactly 6:28 every morning. She only knew this by her running schedule and no one was usually on it anyway so it basically stops for no reason. Weird right? She was about to turn to run back home when she saw a girl getting off the train which caused her to stop running for a second to see who it was. She had blonde hair and most likely blue eyes, but that wasn't noticeable from where she was standing. The girl put the hood of her jacket up hiding her face and hair walking out of the station. She looked as though she was alone. Why would a girl at her age be travelling alone? Her parents would never let her go on a train alone without a friend at least.

Santana watched the girl for a minute or so until she knew that she had gone past creepy and needed to walk away so that's what she did. She took one last glance at the girl before turning in the opposite direction and running back home. Living in Lima didn't make her life very interested since basically everyone knew everyone. They were all quite close so whoever that girl was everyone would notice. They didn't have many new people arrive in this town so it was definitely going to be exciting finding out who this girl was. Well, that depends if she would even let that happen because by watching her from afar it looked as though she didn't want anyone to know her. It was fine, of course, but that would make her an outsider for definite. Santana shook that thought out of her head as she ran up her drive to her house walking inside closing the door. She heard the chatter of her family in the kitchen whilst she walked up to the door opening it. She saw her parents and brother sitting at the table eating breakfast.

"Morning" Santana greeted walking up to the fridge getting a bottle of water out of it having some before walking to the table picking up a banana but not before ruffling her brother's hair. He was six years younger making him ten. He went to the local elementary school but he was moving up to middle school in September. He was excited.

"Tana, not my hair!" He whined pushing her hands away making his hair tidy again. "I tell you every day not to mess with my hair!"

Her father, Antonio, chuckled taking a sip of his coffee. "You are as bad as your mother Jonah."

"Excuse you. I'll have you know it takes time to make my hair look this good. I don't wake up like this." Her mother, Maribel, said hitting him on the arm.

"Oh, I know honey since I wake up next to you." Antonio teased with a smirk.

"You are unbelievable," Maribel said rolling her eyes before turning to her eldest child with a smile. "How was your run sweetheart?"

Santana nodded her head. "It was good. Actually, I have a question. Are we expecting anyone to be moving into Lima? I thought you two might know."

Antonio and Maribel looked at one another as though one of them would know the answer but neither of them had heard of a new person joining the town. Antonio worked as a Neurosurgeon up at Lima General so throughout the hospital he heard a few things but he hadn't heard anything about someone new coming to the town. It's something someone usually knew since they would usually visit a house so someone would them figure it out but not this time. Nothing had been said at all. Maribel, on the other hand, had a lot of friends around the town so usually if someone found out something, she'd be the first to know but nothing had been said. It was strange.

"I haven't heard anything," Antonio said looking up at his daughter. "Have you heard something?"

"No, it's just that whilst I was running I saw this girl get off the train so I thought maybe she was new," Santana stated before shrugging her shoulders. "Maybe she's just visiting family."

"Could be. I'll listen out for anything and let you know." Antonio told his daughter before standing up and putting his blazer on. "I do have to get going now though so I'll see you later," Antonio added before leaning down kissing his wife and children and walking out of the house.

Santana watched her father go out the door then walked up to the door to go upstairs. "I'm just going to get ready for school."

"Okay dear," Maribel said with a smile. "Jonah, eat your breakfast up. You're not leaving the table until you finish your toast."

Santana shook her head in amusement before walking up the stairs to get ready. She had a bit of time before she had to set off so Santana thought that she might as well make the most of it and look her best. Who knows? She could meet a girl she wants to be with. Okay, so the school doesn't know that she was gay but they didn't need to. She had her reputation and if they didn't know who she actually was, the better school will be for her. Sometimes keeping things to yourself is the best thing to do to be happy. Santana walked into her room and got on with getting ready for school. It wasn't long until she had to pick her best friend Quinn up and she didn't plan on being late.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Walking through the town Brittany couldn't help but notice how compact it all seemed. There weren't very many houses that weren't connected to another one which was definitely different from where she lives, well, used to live now. She had no idea what she was going to do with herself. She had already had a number of calls which she ignored. Some from friends and some from the person she ran away from. She had no intention of talking to him and she couldn't risk telling her friends in case he found them and threatened them or something. She cared too much about her friends for that. That was the problem with the entire situation. She cared too much which is what caused her to keep her mouth shut. She kept her mouth shut for her mom so she didn't upset her and now look at the consequences. She had to run away to get away from the person who had been hurting her for so long. She just couldn't take it anymore and now she couldn't even go and visit her mother. She had told the hospital before she left though to contact her if anything happens which, hopefully, won't happen.

Since it was coming up to spring now it was getting warmer which would definitely benefit her. All that Brittany had on her currently was a few clothes, her phone along with a few personal possessions which she didn't want anyone touching such as her diary and a photo of her family before her parents separated. She loved it since it was a picture of her and her parents. She didn't have any siblings but she remembers her mom telling her she wanted more kids. She has a new husband now and they had talked about it but she didn't think it was a good idea. She never liked her husband but she kept quiet because her mom was happy and all she wants is for her to be happy. She sighed at the thought and continued walking down the street to find some shelter. It looked like it was about to rain and she didn't exactly want to get her clothes wet since she hardly had any as it is so she looked around to see if there was any shelter she could get under.

Brittany turned a corner and noticed a building upon the horizon. She walked towards it tightening the grip she had on her bag strap and noticed as she got closer it was a school; quite a good school by the looks of the field that was in view. She noticed how the grass actually looked green and they had a football field along with bleachers. Definitely better than the school she attended anyway. Brittany looked up and sighed when she realized the fence was too high to climb.

"Damn it." She mumbled then went to turn around until she spotted a tree in the parking lot. Well, it wasn't anything like they have in the school but it'd have to do.

The blonde walked over to the tree and put her backpack fully on her back before climbing up settling herself on a branch. She didn't want anyone who walked in to see her and since the leaves were green she wouldn't be able to be seen and she'd be safely hidden. She felt her phone vibrate and saw her step-father was phoning her. She felt her heart jump like she always did when he called her or was close by. She shook her head and put her phone in her bag looking out onto the school. There were a few cars in the parking lot which she assumed were teachers or something along the lines of that. It was too early for students to be arriving anyway. Brittany put her hand in her bag getting out a banana she took from the house before leaving taking a bite of it. She didn't have a lot of money so wasting food that she had brought with her was not a good idea. She probably had around $50 give or take which was not a lot when you think about it.

Brittany sighed and leant her head back against the tree trunk looking up to the sky. How did things get this bad? She heard a car pull up and looked down to see someone who looked like a teacher. She watched as the man got his bag out of the car and walked towards the school. Brittany moved her foot slightly and before she could stop it, her bag fell to the floor with a thud. The man looked at the tree and walked towards the backpack that had fallen out of the tree. He picked it up off of the floor looking up to see her. She didn't say anything, just looked at him, when he gave her a gentle smile.

"This must be yours I presume?" He asked holding her bag in which she nodded in response climbing down taking it from him.

"Thanks." She mutters quietly putting her bag back on her back to climb back up.

The man looked at the girl in front of him. "Hey, do you go here? My name is Mr Schue, I'm a teacher here."

She glances back looking at the man before shaking her head. "No, I don't. I...err...kind of just moved here."

"Oh, so you're the new girl, huh? Must be scary, right?" He asks with a smile to his face.

Brittany nods her head feeling a little uneasy around the man. "Yeah, it is scary. Don't let me keep you, sir. I'm sure you have much better things to do than talking to me."

Mr Schue chuckles. "Oh I assure you I don't but I understand. I'm a stranger and you don't like that so I'll let you go. If you're new you should talk to your parents about coming here. We have a fantastic education curriculum along with performing arts, which I'm in charge of, and Cheerleading. You should think about it."

Brittany nods her head which seems to please the man since he gives her a wave goodbye before walking into the school. She watches then climbs back up the tree hanging her bag on a strong branch so it won't fall down like it did just then. Maybe joining a school wouldn't be the end of the world. God knows it'll be safer than staying out on the streets all the time. Heck, she didn't even have any money for a place to spend the night. Sighing she went back to looking up at the ceiling trying to think of a way she could live here without being in danger of being found. Maybe this school would be her only option right now.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Santana walked up to Quinn's house texting the blonde to let her know she was outside. She wasn't a fan of her parents with them being all religious and catholic so it made her feel uncomfortable, what with her being gay and everything. She took out her mirror to check her makeup when Quinn exited her house walking towards her putting her bag on her shoulder. She put the mirror back in her bag and walked alongside the blonde towards school. Luckily they didn't have any Cheerleading practice since Santana had things on her mind that didn't consist of Coach Sylvester telling her what moves she needs to be doing. She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Quinn's voice.

"San? You alright?"

She glanced towards her best friend nodding her head. "Fine thanks. Just thinking that's all. How's it going with Hudson?"

Quinn sighed shaking her head in response. "Awful. I don't see why he wouldn't want to be with me. I mean look at me! I'm hot and a cheerleader. What more could he want?"

Santana shrugged her shoulders. "No clue. I don't understand guys sometimes. Maybe you could go after Puckerman instead. I hear he likes you."

"Yeah, so he can have sex with me. I want more than just a quickie." Quinn said sighing. "I just want someone to love me. Don't you?"

Santana nodded her head in response. Yes, of course, that was what she wanted but at the moment it wasn't exactly realistic. Lima was just one of those judgmental places and if one person found out about her sexuality then everyone would know. She wasn't about to let that happen but then again she wasn't going to pretend to be someone she's not. She tried that last year and just hated it so she gave up. She wasn't going to make herself unhappy just to please everyone else. Why should she? It's her life, not theirs.

"I do but right now I'm trying to focus on my school work so I don't think a relationship is in the works for me right now."

"You really should get a boyfriend," Quinn said looking at the Latina. "You haven't had one since last year."

"Your point?" Santana asks with a bored expression.

"My point is that people will think you're not into guys at all. I'm just saying that-" Quinn goes on to explain when Santana cuts her off.

"How about you mind your own damn business?" She snaps looking at the blonde with a piercing glare. "Who I date is none of your concern, so just shut up and leave it at that!"

Quinn sighs but nods her head anyway. Santana always did this whenever she questioned her dating life which was odd but she couldn't talk to her about it since she always snapped at her. What else could she do really? She just wanted to protect her friend. People had already come up to her asking if Santana was gay or not and what exactly could she say to that? She didn't think she was and she always responded with telling them that she was straight but still. She can't pull it off forever.

Santana sighed walking into school turning to Quinn. "I'm sorry. I just have a lot going on right now."

"I understand no worries. You know I'm here for you if you need me, right?" Quinn asked hesitantly putting a hand on her friend's arm "You're my best friend and I want to be here for you if you'll let me."

"I know but I'm okay. Let's just get into school. I want this day to be over and it's not even begun yet." Santana sighed walking up to the school.

But what she didn't know was that she had caught the attention of a certain blonde sitting high up in a tree in the parking lot watching her with interest. But what she doesn't know won't hurt her.


	2. Two

How can one girl look so beautiful? Brittany was sitting up looking at the entrance the girl had just walked into and couldn't get the image of her out of her head. She had been wearing a cheerleading outfit, which did wonders for her body, and had what looked like was caramel skin tone. She was clearly a Latina or something along those lines with the way she looked. Her hair had been in a high pony, which was most likely due to the cheerleading, and her legs were just another story. Just thinking about her definitely gave her something else to think about. Not that anything would happen between them but there was no harm in looking. It wasn't illegal or anything so she should be okay, it might just seem creepy. Brittany kept her eyes on the entrance for a while longer then shook her head to get the thought of the girl out of her head. She couldn't be thinking about her and torturing herself since it would never happen anyway. Someone like that would never be interested in a girl as broken as her.

She wasn't always like this, though. She used to be a happy person who believed in all sorts, such as Santa, but now she doesn't even dare. As her step-father always told her, 'don't be so gullible and grow up'. After hearing that so much she just ended up believing him and stopped believing in, well, everything else. Why should she if he says it's just her being stupid? She hated that word now and anyone who ever told her that she was would regret it. There was one good thing about having someone tear you down so much, as hard to believe as it may be, it makes you stand up for yourself more. By someone constantly tearing you down you make it your life's mission to prove them wrong. Brittany's life was so much better without him in it but she didn't have a choice. Her mother married him which meant she was stuck with him, as family mainly. She hated his guts and she was pretty sure he hated hers too. Wait, take that back, she knows he hates her just as much as she hates him. There was no doubt about it. Brittany remembers the first time she met the man when her mother introduced him to her.

\- 2010 -

 _Brittany had just finished school and she couldn't wait to get home and just spend some quality time with her mother. She was close to her more than anyone since it had always just been the both of them and she didn't want anyone else involved. Yes, she had plenty of friends at school and around the neighborhood too but she liked just spending time with her mom occasionally. They usually did something like going to the movies or go for a meal together so they could talk which was always nice. She liked it because not many people that she knew of had that type of bond with their mothers. They spent more time out of the house than in which seemed absurd to her but that was just her opinion. Her friends, on the other hand, didn't get how she was so close to her and how she was okay with her dad living somewhere else. It didn't bother her, at all as a matter of fact. She was used to it._

 _Brittany walked into the house throwing her bag down on the couch and was about to call out to her mom when she heard giggling and a deep voice which was definitely not her mothers. She followed the voice and the giggling to the kitchen where she saw her mother with a man. Who was this man exactly? She hadn't been told about her dating again so who exactly was he? She frowned at him when her mom took notice and saw her standing in the doorway._

 _"Brittany, honey, you're home."_

 _She nodded her head taking her eyes away from the man sat next to her. "It's 4:30. I always come home at that time."_

 _She watched as her mom looked at the clock on the wall then looked back at the man who seemed to be giving her a look that made her incredibly uncomfortable. It was as though he was giving her the stare down and she definitely felt very exposed right now which made her want to just leave the room but she couldn't without it looking suspicious._

 _"Oh, I'm sorry Brittany I've been preoccupied with speaking with Jason." She said with an apologetic smile. "He's someone I met at work and we decided to come back here and get to know each other. Jason, this is my daughter Brittany."_

 _Brittany noticed that he seemed to change his tone with her mother watching him. She would definitely have to be wary of him in the future. "It's very nice to meet you, Brittany. I hope you don't mind me keeping your mother occupied for a little while."_

 _She just wanted to hit him and tell him to stay away from her but she couldn't. Her mom looked happy for once and she wasn't going to take that away from her. She hadn't been happy for a long time since her father left so she had to give this guy a chance, no matter how uncomfortable she felt around him. Brittany shook her head forcing a smile onto her face._

 _"No, I don't mind. She's all yours. I have homework to do anyway." She lied walking back towards the door._

 _"Honey what about spending some time down here for a bit?" Her mother asked before she opened the door. "It's not like you to do your homework straight away"_

 _"It's alright mom you spend time with Jason and I'll see you later."_

 _Before her mother could get a word in she walked upstairs and ran up the stairs away from the man downstairs. She got into her room closing the door leaning her head against it feeling a sense of safety hidden away. She didn't have him watching her but one thing was for sure. She had to make sure her mother didn't fall for this man. She loved her mom and wanted her happy but she liked to feel safe too. She needed to feel safe within her own house and right now with him here, she didn't. Now just to figure out how to do this without hurting her mom. Brittany spotted the paper on her desk and walked over to it sitting down at her desk picking up a crayon and started to think of some ideas._

\- 2014 -

Ever since that day, things turned out from bad to worse and now look at her. Running away from home and moving to another town far away from there. She still wasn't technically safe here but she was a lot better off than back at her house. But she shouldn't be thinking of the past when she had the possibility of having a good life here. What her next action was going to be was beyond her at the moment but she'd think of something which didn't include sitting in a tree watching over the students that went in and out of the school. Well, she saw a few teachers too...and now she seemed like a stalker. She wasn't well known around the town so someone seeing her that didn't know her wasn't going to help things. She didn't want to be seen as weird or anything like that. She wanted to be accepted for who she was and there was no way she was going to let anyone know about...well that didn't matter. It was in her past now and she wanted to keep it that way. Brittany didn't think there would be anyone here she could open up to anyway.

She leant her back against the trunk of the tree opening her backpack taking out the family picture she had stored in there. Looking at it now she looked happy and so did the both of them, but that didn't last forever like it's meant to. Her parents ended up not staying together which meant the both of them would be finding new partner's which they did. Well, her mother before her father but still. Her father lived in Phoenix now with his girlfriend so she never got to see him. She hadn't even met his girlfriend which proved how much she saw the man. She obviously cared but not as much as she probably should about not seeing him. She sighed and put the picture away again. She couldn't help but wonder about what happened in the school and even though she didn't want to think about it, what was happening with that girl she saw. She was a cheerleader by the looks of her uniform so her day had to have something exciting involved, right?

Xxxxxxxxxx

Being head cheerleader wasn't always as cracked up to be as it may seem. Santana had to think about her appearance constantly, had to keep up her reputation all the time as well as keeping up with her classes to make sure she was getting good grades. Her parents had gotten good grades in school too since her father was a Neurosurgeon and her mother was a nurse which meant that they would have both had to work hard. She didn't particularly want to follow in their footsteps but she wanted to have good grades so that when she decided what she wanted to do, she'd have the grades to do it. She also needed good grades to stay on the Cheerios due to it being an extracurricular and her coach only wanted the best on her squad. The co-captain was her friend Quinn Fabray. They had been friends since freshman year when they met in homeroom. She was the one who convinced her to try out for the Cheerios cheerleading team since it was one of the best in the state. She now knew why it was the best; all Cheerleaders were pushed beyond what they were capable of. She definitely felt it.

One thing that Santana was grateful for was Glee Club. She would never admit this to anyone, but it was actually the best part of her day. Ever since she was a little girl she had always loved performing and singing. She remembers when she got a karaoke for Christmas and all she did for the rest of the day was sing and perform for the family they had over that day. But even though she still loved to sing and dance whilst growing up, she had other commitments but Glee allowed her to do what she loved without judgement. Funnily enough, even Quinn was part of it, but Santana knew she was only there because the coach had forced her to since she wanted someone to keep an eye on her. It was stupid frankly but she didn't argue and anyway Finn was part of Glee too and she liked him but the problem was he liked Rachel but she was too into being a diva or whatever to care about that which she was surprised at since Santana thought Rachel liked the lad. She was wrong clearly but then again the way she looked at him told a different story.

"What you thinking about?" Mercedes whispered in her ear which made her jump slightly. She forgot she was in Glee at the moment and got lost in her own thoughts.

"Berry liking lumps the clown with two left feet."

"Santana you can't say that!" Mercedes said and laughed shaking her head. "Finn ain't that bad."

"Isn't that bad? Have you seen his dancing? A drunken dog could dance better than him!"

"I can hear you, you know," Finn grumbles glancing over to them. "If you're gonna talk about someone then at least be quiet so they can't hear you."

Santana laughed glancing at him. "You shouldn't be listening in on our conversation Hudson. I know your life is boring as hell and you hardly have any friends but that don't give you the right to listen in on mine. No me gusta!"

"But-"

"Now turn your fat head around and stop talking to me. It's actually exhausting to look at you right now." Santana exaggerated rolling her eyes turning around looking at her nails. Mercedes just looked at the girl and burst out laughing.

"You are horrible!"

Santana shrugged then smirked. "But I look good doing it."

Their teacher, Mr Schue who ran the Glee Club, walked in and everyone quietened down as he started to talk about their assignment for the week. She had no choice but to act like a bitch in school to keep up appearances but generally, at home, she was a completely different person. She liked being different away from the pressure and stress that she had at school. She could be, well, herself and she liked that. She didn't have to pretend to be someone she wasn't which included not being defensive all the time. She pretended not to care whilst Mr Schue talked when in actual fact she was excited about singing. Just she wouldn't tell anyone.

"Okay I want you all to think about your dreams for this assignment and I want you all to perform something about what you are passionate about. I want you all to open up a little this week. Dig deep."Mr Schue explained giving a small smile to everyone. "Yes, Puckerman everyone has to participate."

Before anyone could say another word the bell went off signifying the end of the club so everyone stood up making their way out of the room. Santana put her bag on her shoulder walking out along with everyone else. She was about to walk to class when she realized she had forgotten to pick up her Math book earlier which meant walking home to pick it up. She sighed and walked out toward the car park to walk home when she saw someone in the distance leaning against a tree with her backpack on the ground beside her feet. She didn't know why but her feet seemed to be leading her in that direction towards her instead of where she was supposed to be doing. Damn, what was she doing? Before she knew it she was standing in front of the girl, which Santana knew was the girl from earlier on. Why was she at the school exactly when she doesn't even attend? She looked at her for a few seconds before she shook her head looking away not wanting to seem creepy even though she was being like that now. She heard the girl chuckle in front of her.

"Are you standing here in front of me for fun?" Brittany asked amused folding her arms trying to keep her heart rate down, which had started to race since she had noticed the girl walking towards her moments ago. "I mean don't get me wrong it's nice to see a new person, but I'm sure you have something more interesting to do with your time than stand there like a lemon."

Her voice made Santana raise her head. She noticed how her hair did look quite messy but in a sexy kind of way. Not that she thought she was...but yeah. She was wearing what looked like a casual jacket along with a pair of jeans and black converses. Santana wasn't sure where she came from but wherever she did come from, it seemed like a while away since she blonde looked quite tired. She was quite observant and she noticed the bags under her eyes; overall though she did look good, especially her legs. She shook her head shaking the thoughts of the blonde in front of her out of her head. Not the time Santana.

"Sorry I just...I saw you and I haven't seen you around before" Santana said with a curious look. "Who are you exactly? Not to be rude or anything."

"I'm Brittany. Brittany Pierce. I just moved here."

"Oh yeah? Where from?"

Brittany looked at the girl curiously this time. "Does that matter? I mean I don't even know you, no offense."

"I guess not," Santana responded shrugging her shoulders gripping the strap on her bag. "Got nothing else to do but to hang outside a school? Not got unpacking to do?"

The blonde shook her head. "Nah travelled light and I was just looking around and I ended up here. Anyway don't let me keep you, you seemed to be going somewhere before you stopped and noticed me."

"I wasn't doing anything interesting. I just forgot my Math book at home but now you mention it I should probably get going." Santana agreed nodding her head taking a step back but not before giving the blonde a smile. "Will I see you around here soon?"

"Maybe. Don't get your hopes up, though." Brittany replied leaning back against the tree then allowed a smile to appear on her face. She couldn't help herself.

Santana nodded her head backing away letting her eyes glance over her whispering a 'bye' and walking through the car park towards the school gate. She was going to make her way home when she heard the bell signifying the start of the lesson. Sighing she realized she'd have to make do without her notebook and made her way inside but before she did she glanced over at the blonde who was making her way up the tree to sit in it. She couldn't help but smile before walking inside and to her classroom. She mumbled a sorry to her teacher before sitting down at her seat.

"Where were you?" Quinn asked making her jump in surprise. She forgot Quinn was in the same class as her. "It's not like you to be late."

"I know but I was about to make my way home to grab my Math book but it was too late and the bell went off. Mind me borrowing some paper?"

Quinn gave Santana a curious look before nodding her head ripping some paper out of her book handing them to Santana. Santana thanked the blonde and got her pencil case out starting to write out the equations on the board trying to forget about the conversation she had with the blonde outside earlier. Why was the blonde outside the school when she could be at home unpacking or being with her parents? Santana tried ignoring the thoughts and questions in her head and got on with the work the teacher had set. She could wonder about her in her free time but not now. Now was definitely not a good time.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Brittany kept looking at the school all afternoon trying to figure out if it was a good idea to try and get a place at the school. She would have no parents for the school to talk to and it wasn't like you can just call someone to pretend to be your parents or ask people off the street. It would be a bit of an odd request to ask a couple of people to pretend to be your parents when they don't know you. She had one family member in the town but she didn't know exactly how she could approach them since her grandmother passed away a couple of years ago and it wasn't like she went to her funeral either because, funnily enough, she hadn't been allowed, which is definitely weird just thinking of it. She didn't know what she would say to her grandpa about why she wasn't there. It wasn't long after her mother got into a coma that they passed away but that was another story completely. Brittany thought about it and she knew she would be safer if she was in school during the day instead of out on the streets but that did mean attending school. She wouldn't know anyone but she would get to see the brunette more. Now Brittany thought about it, she never got the girl's name so next time she would have to do that.

After sitting in the tree for a while she decided to get down whilst no one was around and walk away from the school to look around the town. She would be living here for a while so she needed to know where things were. She had no money hardly so she would have to seriously preserve the money she had so it wasn't going to waste. She knew she would have to get some food at some point though so looking for a shop wouldn't hurt. Brittany turned the corner and noticed a small food corner shop so she walked up to it and inside. It wasn't very big at all, maybe about the size of a movie theater screen, but it had food and that's all she came in for since her stomach was starting to rumble. She walked around and decided on picking up an apple, a bag of chips and a smoothie for her to drink. She walked up to the till putting everything onto the counter getting her money out. She felt eyes on her and raised her head to see the woman on the till looking at her with a smile.

"Can I help you?" Brittany asked frowning at her not enjoying someone staring at her. She's never enjoyed it, not even when her girlfriend at the time did it last year.

"Sorry, I've just not seen you around dear, forgive me." She apologized with a smile scanning her items. "We don't get new people around here usually without someone finding out who they are. I've not heard about you."

"Well, I don't intend to let anyone know me so don't worry I won't be a bother," Brittany responded putting her money on the counter, taking her items and shoving them in her bag. "Keep the change."

Brittany walked out before the woman could say another word back onto the street. She took the chips out of her bag and opened them whilst walking back towards the school looking at the building. There were pros and cons as to why she should or shouldn't go there but the main reason she really wanted to listen to was the fact that she had to be safe. She couldn't be out on the street all the time and she knew that she had to get an education. That was one thing she knew her mom would want, for her to be in education and get a good job afterwards and not be a low life as she called them. It was what her father was and she didn't intend on being the same. She was going to be different and she wasn't exactly sure what she wanted to be just yet but if she wanted to be anything then she needed the school.

Brittany put the empty chip packet in the trash making the decision and walked up to the school walking inside. The hallways were empty luckily so no one would see her and ask questions. She didn't need that. Brittany walked around until she saw an office which looked like somewhere the Principal of the school would have. She knocked on the door and a woman on the inside looked up and smiled walking up to the the door which she could see since it was glass all around, and opened the door. The woman let her step inside then closed the door behind her.

"Hello, what can I do for you? Shouldn't you be in class?" The woman asked. Brittany couldn't help but notice how clean it was in the office. It was as though no one even worked in there and, if she was being honest, it made her a little uncomfortable.

"I don't actually go here. I was looking for the Principal's office. I...I kind of just moved to Lima and I wanted to...you know...apply or whatever." Brittany mumbled standing uncomfortably in front of her desk looking at the floor.

The woman looked at the blonde in front of her before moving towards her putting a hand on her arm giving her a warm smile. "How about I take you there so you can talk to him?"

Brittany nods her head and allows herself to be led by this woman out of the room and down the corridor. She had no idea what was going to happen or if he would even be allowed to join the school but there was no harm in trying right? She still had to figure out how she was going to join a school with no parents but she would figure it out. It would definitely not be the first time she had to lie about something but this was a huge lie so it could either go good or bad depending on her luck. The woman stopped in front of another room with glass around it which had a woman typing at a desk. Seriously, what was with important offices being able to be seen? Anyone could see who was being sent to the Principal's office which was hardly fair. Brittany turned her head giving the woman a small smile

"Thanks."

The woman smiled back. "No problem. My name is Miss Pilsbury and I'm the guidance counsellor at the school, so if you need anything when you join us let me know. You know where my office is." Miss Pilsbury said before walking away down the corridor. Wait, how did she-?

"How do you know I'll be accepted?" Brittany called down to her questioning her answer with a frown. "I could be rejected."

Miss Pilsbury gave Brittany a warm smile as she turned back to face her. "You'll be accepted. Good luck."

With that answering lingering, the woman disappeared around the corner and out of sight. Brittany had a questionable look on her face wondering how she knew but she decided to shake that thought out of her mind and enter the office. She had to try so this was the first step in doing that. She was doing this to be safe after all.

Xxxxxxxxxx

As meetings go Brittany's didn't turn out too bad. It did take a while to convince him that she wanted to be at the school and why she hadn't filled out an application. She had offered to but the Principal, which she found out was called Principal Figgins, told her it didn't matter and that it could be sorted electronically. She had filled out an online application but she was told that she had to bring in her grandpa on her first day so they knew she was living with him. Yes, she had lied about who she was living with since she hadn't exactly planned on going to see him but now she would have to so she could get into the school. He was her only hope which meant that she would have to go and see him. He wasn't far away from the school so she could just pop in but what would she say to him? 'Sorry I wasn't at grandma's funeral but I wasn't allowed?' How would that look exactly? God, it sounded stupid just thinking of that. He would probably hate her or think she was lying.

Brittany sighed and walked through the street stopping in front of his house looking up at the building. It hadn't changed one bit but she wasn't surprised. Her grandparents had always been so in love with one another that her grandpa let her decorate it with the exception of having a few places in the house as his own. She apparently accepted that and went on to decorate the place but Brittany always loved it. It was homey which was why she always loved going there for Christmas and birthdays but she hadn't been for a while now. She hadn't been able to. Taking a deep breath Brittany allowed her feet to move towards the front door. Fear started to escalate through her body when she stopped in front of it knowing who was on the other side. Was he going to hate her? Would he hit her? Would he close the door in front of her face? She didn't know, but she knew she needed this man. Heck, she wanted her grandpa back in her life again. She needed him right now and not just for the application either.

Brittany was about to knock on the door when she felt guilt rush through her. She couldn't do this. She couldn't just expect him to be there for her when she wasn't for him. That was not the person she wanted to be. She looked down at her feet and noticed at the mess she was in. Things weren't supposed to get this hard but what could she do now? She looked up at the sky and sighed backing away from the building and walking away. She heard giggling in the distance and noticed the brunette she met earlier. She hid behind the nearest tree and watched her from afar. She didn't want to stop her time with her friends since she knew that if she saw her she'd most likely walk towards her asking questions and neither of them needed that. Brittany watched until the group went around the corner allowing Brittany to breathe a sigh of relief. School must be over now which meant she would have the chance to find somewhere to stay.

The blonde walked towards the school once more but didn't stop at the tree. She walked further into the car park and around a corner when she noticed the field. It was empty luckily which meant no one would be able to see her. She looked around and noticed the bleachers and the space underneath them which gave Brittany an idea. She walked underneath them and into a corner where she knew she couldn't be seen and sat down on the ground. Not the best place to spend the night but at least she was covered and no one would see her. Well, no one would see her from afar. She took a look around and ran her fingers through her hair. It was better than being out in public on the streets where someone could see her in plain daylight. Brittany sighed and laid down putting her bag underneath her head looking up at the bottom of the bleachers. Well, it was no house that's for sure, but she didn't need someone pitying her. She could take care of herself even if that meant not being in a warm house. She folded her arms and closed her eyes. She knew she had to try and talk to her grandfather tomorrow even if it meant he hated her. She needed him right now and with that thought in mind, she fell asleep.


	3. Three

Birds chirping was the first thing Brittany heard when she woke up the next morning. It was still quite early which was lucky since she didn't want to be seen by any staff or students, especially Santana. She got her phone out and saw it was 6:20 am which, in her opinion, was way too early but she had to get up. Brittany stood up stretching the stiffness out of her muscles and bent down picking her bag up and put it on her shoulder. Walking towards the field she ducked behind one of the stands to make sure no one was around before walking out onto the field towards the car park and out of the school. No one was usually at school at this time anyway which meant there wasn't any chance, in her opinion, on someone seeing her. She walked away from the school and down the street, she walked down the day before. She was going to stop at the shop but decided against it when she thought about money. She shook her head after seeing the shop and kept on walking ahead. She knew talking to her grandpa was a must but at the moment she wasn't sure how it would even go. How would you welcome a family member into your home who hadn't spoken to you in years? Would you just allow them into your life as though nothing happened? No, you'd question it and Brittany knew she wouldn't be able to answer any of the questions she asked since she was told not to say anything.

Before her mother's accident, Brittany remembers being able to talk to her grandparents over the phone since they weren't able to go to Lima when they pleased. Since her mother had a demanding job, what with being a lawyer and everything, they never got time to visit family often. It sucked but Brittany understood since she at least got to see her when she finished school. It was something she remembers her mom saying when she began high school and she was glad she was able to keep that up and get home before she finished school. She was always grateful to her being able to think of her before work. It was something she always admired in her and hoped she could be the same with her kids, well, when she finally got round to having them. She just hadn't met the right person but she had time yet.

She was now stood in front of her grandpa's house and she definitely felt the fear building up yet again. She wanted peace between them and to just forget about the whole not talking scenario that had been happening since it wasn't even her fault, but if he asked she couldn't exactly tell him something she'd been forbidden to say. Especially if the said person found out which would mean her getting punished, and she had to admit, she was going to try and stay clear of the whole 'punishment' if she could help it. It was also quite early but she knew her grandpa was probably up because she heard that since her grandma died he hadn't slept well which was understandable. She glanced around and noticed how dead it was at this time of the morning apart from a few cars passing by, which were most likely being used by people who were on their way to work. Brittany shook her head and knew she was just finding excuses to not go up to the house which wasn't right. She couldn't be afraid forever and now was definitely a time she had to face her fears. She had run away once and she didn't want to do that again. So with that thought in mind Brittany took a deep breath and walked up to her grandpa's house until she was on the porch and with a short hesitation, she knocked on the door a few times before taking a step back putting her hands in her pockets nervously.

After a few moments, the door opened and an elderly man stood there and Brittany couldn't help but notice how he hadn't changed one bit. He was wearing his favorite blue dressing gown which she had given him a few years ago. She remembers him telling her how he loved it and he would make good use of it so to see he was still wearing it was just, well, it made her smile. He was also wearing a pair of pajamas and his favorite slippers. His blue eyes looked over at her and they shone when he realized exactly who it was. Brittany felt her nerves go away as soon as the man smiled at her.

"Brittany! It's so good to see you!" He says giving her a warm smile opening the door and motioning his hand inside. "Please, come in"

She nodded her head and walked into the house passed her grandpa. She saw how his house was exactly how she remembered it with pictures of her family and how he still had pictures around of him and his wife. The furniture hadn't changed and he still had the old television which reminded her how her mother had wanted him to change it to a newer model. Her grandpa, however, had told her how he was an old man and preferred the model he had currently and didn't need a new television when his worked perfectly fine.

Brittany was brought out of her thoughts when she heard the door close behind her and her grandpa moved towards the kitchen. She decided to follow him and stood awkwardly against the wall whilst he put the kettle on. One thing she missed was how whenever she used t come over he always offered her a hot chocolate knowing how much she loved them. He turned his head to her and gave her a smile.

"Hot chocolate?"

Brittany couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face and nodded. "You know me."

He kept the smile on his face and nodded his head turning back to the counter getting a mug out, which she noticed was her favorite one, putting the powder into it making sure it was the right amount; he knew how specific she was about how it needed to be. She watched him get his own mug out, putting a tea bag in then turn to face her motioning for her to take a seat which she accepted sitting at the table. She put her bag down on the floor beside her and looked at her grandpa once he was sat down waiting for some sort of yelling to happen and was surprised when it never came.

"Aren't you going to yell at me or something?" Brittany asked confused expecting him to say something at least about her being MIA with him. "I mean I thought it'd be the first thing you would do or that you wouldn't let me in."

Her grandpa chuckled shaking his head. "Brittany, what did your grandma and I always tell you when you came here?" He asked before getting up when he heard the kettle boil.

"That I am always welcome here?"

The elderly man nodded his head. "Exactly so no matter what the circumstance is, you should know that you are always welcome here."

Brittany smiled as he walked towards her with the drinks putting one in front of her and the other in front of himself on the table. She took it and held it in her hands feeling them warm up instantly, which was more than what she got last night. She knew she couldn't tell him about it though since she knew he'd be upset with her for sleeping outside. He always wanted her inside safe and sleeping outside was definitely not considered safe.

"Thank you. How have you been?" She asked taking a sip of her hot chocolate, which she noticed was exactly how she liked it.

"I've been good. It's been difficult not having your grandma around to tell me to do things but I miss those things." Her grandpa explained with a sad smile taking a sip of his own drink. "But I'm glad she's no longer in pain and I'm sure she's up in heaven looking down on me yelling me to do things and that's enough." He added with a chuckle which made Brittany smile.

"I'm glad, grandpa. I'm sorry about not being at the funeral even though I wanted to be."

The man looked at his granddaughter. "You wanted to be there? How come you weren't?"

Brittany shook her head not meeting the man's eyes. She felt guilty enough as it is without seeing him upset with her. "I can't tell you, I'm sorry."

"Brittany..." He began but she just shook her head dismissing him.

"I can't."

He sighed and nodded in understanding. Well, he didn't fully understand but he understood that she had her reasons that she couldn't explain to him and that was enough of an answer to accept. He knew Brittany and even though she seemed different, he knew she would come to him when she was ready. You couldn't ever push a Pierce to talk. It just didn't happen.

"Okay honey, I understand. If you ever want to talk you know where I am." He put his hand on top of Brittany's and smiled when he saw her lift her head to meet his eyes. Brittany looked down at his hand and looked up at her grandpa with a smile.

"Thank you, grandpa," Brittany says moving her finger around the rim of her mug.

"You're welcome, kleindochter." He responded taking his hand back taking another sip of his drink. "Now tell me, what's been happening with you and your mom?" He asked and at that moment Brittany felt her heart drop. Jason didn't tell them about the accident which means he doesn't know she's in a coma. Crap.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Santana was leaning against the counter, coffee in hand, thinking to herself. She had actually finally talked to the girl she had been curious about since she had seen her yesterday, which she knew wasn't long but still. From their meeting, she didn't know what to think of the girl apart from the fact that she seemed a little guarded but that was only from the fact that she wasn't very open to saying where she was from. Then again that could have just been the fact that they had just met and she didn't want to tell her, which made sense. She was definitely gorgeous but just thinking about her brought up a lot of questions in her head. Where was this girl from? Where was she living in Lima? Who was she living with? What was this girl's story?

Brittany. Just hearing her voice made her smile. She seemed so bright and happy but when you saw her in person it was different. Happiness was there but there was something about her which was different but she couldn't put her finger on it. She knew this girl must have some kind of past to move to Lima without anyone knowing but she couldn't judge. Everyone had their own lives, and Santana knew more that anyone that someone getting involved in your life wasn't fair. No one liked someone getting in their business just to be nosy. She wanted to know Brittany but how could she when she only saw her at certain times in the day? From their last encounter it didn't seem like she was attending school at the moment so how was she meant to see her? Not that she was excited or anything...that wasn't her thing.

She heard footsteps coming from the stairs and she knew instantly who was coming. Her brother had a tendency to run around the house a lot, and even though it annoyed her parents, she liked seeing him so energetic. He was just one of those people you saw who wasn't known to lounge around the house. Well at his age you can't expect that but Santana knew he would never be like that. He liked exercise too much. She smiled when he ran into the room.

"Hey 'Tana!" He greeted with a grin on his face before going to the cupboard to get the cereal out. "You leaving soon?"

"Trying to get rid of me?" Santana asked with a smirk teasing him.

Jonah shook his head quickly. "No, I was just wondering as all. Mami and Papi are gonna be down in a sec. They're just getting ready for work."

"Alright champ. Get yourself some breakfast then so you don't go hungry."

Jonah nods making his breakfast when her mother walks into the kitchen wearing her work uniform. She smiles in greeting as her mother comes to a standstill beside her, making herself a drink.

"Morning Mami. Early shift?" Santana asks moving to lean against the other counter to give her mother some room. She notices her nod her head.

"I do. I'm covering for Joanne who is off sick. Thank you for getting Jonah to make his own breakfast. God knows you're the only one he listens to."

Santana chuckles at her mother's comment. "I don't yell at him that's why. That's yours and Papi's job."

"Of course that's why," Maribel responds chuckling moving to pick the milk up from the table. "Oh, I meant to ask. Did you find anything out about that girl you saw? You never said anything."

Santana nods her head picking grapes from the fruit bowl. "Oh yeah, I met her yesterday. Didn't get much out of her, but she seems nice."

Before anyone in the room could say another word, Antonio walked in kissing his wife's cheek before pouring himself a drink. He sighed happily after tasting his drink then sits down at the table across from his son who seemed to be interested in his cereal bowl.

"Mornin'" He greeted picking up the paper looking at it.

"Morning Papi." Santana and Jonah greeted simultaneously. Santana looked at her father and noticed how tired he looked. "You look tired."

Antonio chuckled. "Having a bad night's sleep will do that to you."

Santana laughed before looking at her watch noticing the time. She had to go to school today for Cheerio's practice even though it was Saturday The coach was that extreme she had to run a mandatory practice on the weekend which was annoying since she could easily be still in bed but no. So she ate a few more grapes before picking up her backpack. She kissed her mother and father then finally her brother before walking towards the door. There was no way in hell she was going to be late and suffer through Sue Sylvester's rants. She had been late before and she still hasn't forgotten it to this day but at least it gave her motivation to not be late, which was something.

Walking down the street she felt how fresh the air felt and how it wasn't cold, just nice. It distracted her from her thoughts for s few minutes which were then interrupted when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to see Quinn there.

"What are you doing, Fabray?" She asked whilst turning and continuing to walk with Quinn catching up and walking beside her.

"I'm going to practice just like you are. What do you think?"She asked before rolling her eyes at the comment.

Santana shook her head walking towards the building and onto the field along with the other Cheerio's that had arrived before the both of them. At least they weren't late and that was something. She began stretching along with Quinn. She looked at her as she did the same. Quinn noticed the Latina looking at her and looked back at her curiously.

"You clearly wanna say something so out with it."

Santana looked at the blonde before shaking her head and looking away. "Nothing, I was just in my own head that's all. Not that it would be any of your business why I was anyway."

"When are you gonna stop being all snappy with me?" Quinn asked with a frustrated sigh. "I'm your friend and I am here for you to talk to, you know? That's what friends are for."

Santana knew this but she had always been distant with others at school opening up wise in case they found out who she actually was. Sometimes those closest to you are the ones who hurt you the most and no matter how much people don't want to admit that, it's true. Santana was about to say something when Sue Sylvester's voice came echoing over the field from a megaphone she had in hand.

"Ladies get into your positions! I have not got all day and I do not have slackers on my team!" Coach Sylvester shouted out which made all the cheerleaders scurry into position not wanting to get on the wrong side of their coach. "Come on, come on hurry up! I'd like to get on with something before noon today!"

Santana and the Cheerio's were about to get into position when they heard Coach Sylvester's voice once again.

"Changed my mind. 20 Laps around the field. Go!"

The Cheerios knew better than to complain so they made their way around the field with no complaints. They all knew how their coach was so they kept their opinions to themselves since they wanted to be on the winning team of the state. Quinn was running beside her but they didn't say anything to each other. Even as Captain she liked keeping on top of her game so whenever she was told to run, she did. Well unless she was exhausted then she just stood and yelled orders out at people.

"You think this is hard? Try being water boarded. That's hard!"

Santana rolled her eyes at the comment but kept on running anyway. She needed this spot more than anything since if he was going to keep her sexuality hidden then this was the perfect way to hide her identity. No one would suspect a Cheerio to be a lesbian which is why it was so easy for her to hide it, for now at least. She already got enough crap with her being in Glee Club so she didn't need the extra attention on her if she was just a regular student. She had been struggling ever since she realized she was gay. She had a crush on a female teacher, to begin with, but if she was being honest she kind of always knew. She had never been that interested in boys, even as a young girl. When people had a crush on people such as Justin Beiber in school, she had a crush on people like Brittany Spears. She always knew it was different but she never thought anything of it since it was normal to her. She only realized how different it was when she started McKinley and saw how other students got treated. She vowed to never let herself get treated like that which meant hiding who she was.

She hadn't told anyone, not even her parents. It wasn't as though they wouldn't be accepting or anything, it was more that once she told someone it became real and Santana wasn't ready for that type of announcement yet. It wasn't as though she was ashamed or anything, she actually accepted herself, but she just didn't want people to stop respecting her or for the Cheerios to refuse to change in the same locker room as her. That type of stuff does happen; she'd seen it herself in school. She shook those thoughts out of her head and continued running focusing on what she was doing.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Just seeing how shocked her grandpa made her feel awful. She'd hate it if she had a child and found out years later that she was actually in a coma. It would rip her apart and she'd want to hurt whoever kept it from her. She knew her grandpa was different though which was why his reaction was different than hers. He just seemed overall shocked which was a reasonable reaction given the circumstances. She had finished her hot chocolate and was now just waiting for her grandpa to say something. It made her angry how Jason hadn't told her grandpa about her mother but there was a reason for that. Brittany suspected that he had something to do with the crash as bad as it sounded. She had her suspicions ever since it happened but she didn't say anything in case he hurt her or something. But now she was just pissed off with him.

"Grandpa?"

The man looked at Brittany in shock. "Your mother has been in a coma for two years?" He asked in shock in which Brittany nodded in response. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Brittany mumbled looking down at her cup. "Jason."

"Excuse me?"

She sighed and looked up meeting her Grandpa's gaze. "Jason didn't tell you when he was supposed to. The doctors were going to phone you themselves but he stopped them and said it would be better for you to hear it from him, even though I knew you'd prefer to hear it from them."

"Are you telling me that he didn't tell me purposely?" The man asked his granddaughter curiously, "Because if you are then you need to tell me."

Brittany sighed shaking her head. "I'm not saying that he didn't tell you on purpose. It's just he's someone to be weary of so it's possible. Just leave it grandpa; I don't want to talk about him."

"You sure?" He asked and Brittany nodded in response.

"Ja. I'm sure."

The man accepted that nodding his head and got up taking their cups to wash them in the sink Brittany watched him curiously not sure what to make of the situation since her grandpa was always known to keep some emotion to himself and now he had suddenly gone quiet but she understood. She didn't really speak a lot after it happened and still didn't really tell anyone how she was feeling. Plus he lost his wife two years ago and now it was possible he could lose his daughter too? It wasn't something Brittany herself would want to go through.

"It's nice to know you still speak a bit of Dutch even though your mother hasn't been around." Her grandpa pointed out.

She shrugged her shoulders with a smile. "You know me, grandpa. Always keeping up to date I am. Plus it's kind of hard to forget when you've grown up with your mom speaking it to you."

"True. She was always telling me how she was trying to get you to know the language young so it was easier for you to remember and learn. Turns out she was right."

Brittany chuckled and nodded her head. He was right in that aspect definitely since she remembers when she was young and her mother teaching her different words of the language. She had used picture cards and at one point just spoke Dutch throughout the day so she was made to learn it and it did help so she was thankful to her for that. Unfortunately, after her mother fell into a coma she didn't speak it as much since Jason always snapped at her for talking anything but English in the house. She had to practice in her own time even though she didn't need to technically.

Her grandpa's chair being dragged across the floor was what brought her out of her thoughts. He sat back down across from her on the table.

"So how about you tell me why you are here." The man suggested. "You must have come here for a reason."

Brittany nodded her head in response. "Yes. I came here because I applied to McKinley to go to school there but obviously, I needed a guardian so I put you down. They want you to come with me on my first day next week so they can see that you're real. Is that okay?"

The man knew there had to be a reason to why his granddaughter showed up out of the blue and there it was; school. He was glad she was thinking of her education, so he couldn't fault the girl in any way.

"Of course that's okay. Just let me know where I need to be and when and I'll be there." He answered with a warm smile. "You know I'll always be here for you Brittany."

Brittany smiled back knowingly. "I know grandpa but still. Thank you."

"Have you brought anything with you from home?" He asks eyeing her backpack which didn't look like it had much in it at all. Brittany nodded her head.

"Yes but I really just shoved things I really needed not thinking about the rest. I came here to get away but don't worry I won't be bothering you or anything."

Her grandpa frowned at her. "Bothering me? You aren't bothering me at all. You will stay here with me whilst you live here. Is that clear?" He asks looking at his granddaughter.

"But grandpa you don't-" Brittany began but stopped herself when she saw the expression on his face and nodded her head. "Yes, that's clear."

Brittany knew when to stop talking with her grandpa. Everyone knew that you didn't want to make him angry or you'd regret it so when he told you to do something then you did it. It wasn't as though he scared you; it was just that seeing him angry was something you didn't want to see. She had to admit though that she had missed him and at least she would have a roof over her head every night.

"Good. Now I want you to get some clothes for yourself." He told her standing up walking into the living room. She was about to follow when he returned and handed her his card. Her eyes widened. Was he really going to trust her with his card?

"Grandpa you don't need-"

He waved his hand dismissing her comment. "Hush. I want you to take that and go to the mall in town and get yourself some nice clothes for school as well as some pens and such things."

Brittany looked from him to the card and back again before standing up and smiling hugging him. He was so generous at times which was definitely a trait she wished some people had. She pulled away and nodded her head pocketing the card This would give her a chance to redo her image so she wasn't noticed as much as she was in her last school. It wasn't as though she didn't like being noticed but sometimes she had wished she was just invisible. Starting a new school gave her that chance to just...blend in instead of all the attention being on her. Also since she was trying to hide out a bit she would need to keep hidden in case she was discovered. There was no way she was going back to the life she was living. She couldn't.

"Thank you. I'll go into town now and grab some things. I might not be back for lunch."

He nodded his head understanding that it may take a while. Teenage girls can take forever in the mall at times. "I understand. Don't worry about coming back for lunch but I want you back for dinner."

She nodded her head picking up her backpack walking to the door. "I'll be back by dinner, promise."

"I know." Her grandpa responded. "Now go and have fun. I'll see you later."

She nodded her head and walked out of the house and into town. She had no idea how this was going to go living with him but she had to admit that it was better than her previous home. Well...it was fine before her mother got into the accident then it turned into a home she hated going back to. Sometimes having a stepfather can be a good thing since they take away the pain of not having a father around, but then again it can be an awful experience. It depends on the person and the experience they have. She pulled herself out of her thoughts walking up to the mall.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Santana was sore. It was all she could think about at the current moment. She had just finished cheer practice and her boy was just sore throughout. The coach had pushed them hard which wasn't unusual but that didn't mean it didn't make her body sore afterwards. After the group had run 20 laps, they had gone through a rigorous routine five or six times until it was perfect. Coach Sylvester didn't want anything less than perfect and even when it was, it still wasn't good enough. She was currently walking back towards her house when she saw the mall down the road. As much as she wanted to just collapse on her bed she knew she needed a new pair of jeans which she had been meaning to get for a while. Deciding to walk through the pain, she made her way towards the mall.

Santana walked through the doors making her way towards the jean section of the mall; however, when she turned a corner she bumped right into someone. Groaning she raised her head to have a go at whoever had gotten in the way when she saw it was Brittany. Brittany who was wearing the same clothes from the day previously but it wasn't like anyone would be able to tell. She raised her head and saw Brittany was indeed looking back at her with the same amount of curiosity that she was giving her. She let her eyes gaze over the blonde; one thing she did notice was how blue her eyes were. The eyes were her favorite part of any woman since usually when you are talking to the person you are looking into their eyes. Brittany's eyes were just...so beautiful. They were an ocean blue color but probably even lighter than that.

Brittany decided to be the one to pull her eyes away from the brunettes blushing nervously running her fingers through her hair.

"S-Sorry that was my fault." Brittany stutters apologizing with a blush to her face, "I wasn't looking where I was going clearly."

Santana shook her head in response. "No, it was mine. I was too occupied with my thoughts."

"Aren't we all?" Brittany asked chuckling which made Santana's heart beat faster. God her laugh was just...damn it Santana, stop it.

"I guess we are. What brings you here?" Santana asks.

Brittany shrugs her shoulders walking to the clothes behind her looking through the racks. "Shopping; got given some money so I could get some new clothes so here I am. Trying to reinvent my image a little, so I'm more of a person who blends in Get me?" She asks looking up from the clothing rack to see Santana nod then looks back at the clothes.

"Why would you just want to blend in?" Santana can't help but ask out of curiosity.

"Why wouldn't I want that, is the question," Brittany responds holding out a jacket in front of her. "You see I don't want to be popular like you. I want to be someone who just goes to school to learn then goes home afterwards. That's enough for me."

Santana looked at Brittany astounded by what she just said. Wait, how did she even know she was popular, to begin with? "Wait, how do you know that I'm popular?"

Brittany smirks. "You are wearing a Cheerleading outfit, you're popular."

Santana curses herself for not thinking of that before looking back at the blonde. "How can you just want to blend in? I mean they say high school is the best time of your life. Why waste that by blending in?"

"Let's go back to my previous statement, shall we? I don't want to be popular like you and blending in is enough for me." Brittany says rolling her eyes. "Are we done here? I have shopping to get done."

Watching the blonde she knew she had just bothered her or annoyed her by the way she was acting now. Santana sighs and was about to walk away when she ends up walking towards the blonde haired girl stopping in front of her. She was tempted to just look at her but that would not help matters right now and it was seen as creepy too so it was out of the picture She wanted to know her so what better way to do that than by shopping with her? It's what friends do, not that they were friends or anything. Just...she just wanted to know the girl.

"Can I join you? I need to get some new clothes myself and I don't know you that well so maybe we could use this time to get to know each other." Santana suggested watching Brittany look through the clothing rail which made the blonde look up. Brittany looks over at her for a few moments before leaning her forearms on the rail.

"What makes you think I'm going to let you get to know me?" Brittany asks looking straight at the Latina. "I don't need someone around who's going to keep asking questions about my life that I don't want to talk about."

Wow. This girl was more guarded than what Santana thought. "Well, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. I'll just be someone you can hang out with."

Brittany watched Santana's reaction to her question. It was true. She didn't need someone poking and prodding her life since it was sensitive to her. She had been through a lot and talking about it just...well, she just didn't want that. The problem was though that she wanted to know the girl standing in front of her currently. She didn't want to be popular but she didn't have to be to have friends, right? She bit her lip looking down before looking up giving Santana a nod of her head in response mumbling out a 'sure' before going back to looking at clothes.

Santana smiled and kept the other side of the clothing rail to Brittany looking at clothes herself but she couldn't help but glance at the blonde every once in a while. She might not want to open up to her but at least her thoughts of the blonde might go away after some time. She could then go back to concentrating on her school work and Cheerleading but she will admit, she is glad she gets the chance to hang out with her no matter how guarded she seemed to be.


	4. Four

Showering. It was one of the things in your life you have to do at some point due to hygiene but it was also one of the places many people do their thinking. It was just soothing and there was no one around, so it gave you that time alone without anyone bothering you and it was just amazing. Feeling the hot water fall over your body and how afterwards you just feel so refreshed was the best feeling. Brittany was one of the people who did appreciate a nice shower. She always liked it back home since it gave her a reason to lock the bathroom door without it being suspicious to Jason. It gave her time alone so she always took as long as she could in there even if it meant he was in there until she water turned cold. She just had that time to think about things and it was actually the place she got the idea of running away to Lima. Never in her life had she thought of doing it when her mother was around, but now she felt as though she had no other choice. She knew being here wasn't much but her grandpa's house was now a home to her.

She had been living here the past week and she wouldn't ask for anything more from the man because he had treated her with such respect and care; it was all she ever wanted. She went out sometimes during the day to check out the town, even though every time she saw the same things mostly, but it was nice just walking around knowing no one knew her and couldn't judge her. Well, that was a lie; people judge all the time but one thing she loved was that they could only judge her by what they see, not by what they know.

The day she went shopping with Santana she came home with a variety of clothes. She bought clothes from pairs of jeans to leather jackets, but she only bought one of them due to only needing one. She just needed to recreate her style without looking...what's the word she's looking for...rough maybe? She didn't want people seeing her as someone who would hurt them or anything like that. She just wanted people to understand that she had no business in joining any clubs since she was just going to school to learn and that's it. All she wanted was to go to school and come home at the end of the day. It's all she needed to do in retrospect. Brittany sighed turning the water off when it started to turn cold and stepped out the shower taking the towel from the rail and wrapping it around her body before walking to her room. It wasn't much really but there was a bed, desk, TV and wardrobe and she didn't need much more than that.

When she went shopping the week previous she had bought herself a few things for her room such as a lamp, so she would be able to read and do her homework without using the big light, some blinds, so others couldn't see inside the room, plus a hairdryer and some hair straighteners. Well, she couldn't go to school with bad hair that's for sure and she also purchased a few essential items for herself. When she got settled into her room she put her family photo on the desk and her bag with everything in it on the floor in front of the desk. Walking into the bedroom Brittany wrapped her robe around herself when she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in."

Her grandpa walked in holding a bowl of cereal which she noticed was just a cereal he kept in the house but she didn't mind. She was grateful either way. He placed the bowl on the desk. "Sorry honey but it's all I have in the house. We'll go shopping later on when you finish school."

"Thanks, grandpa and it's okay. It's better than nothing, right?" She said with a chuckle starting to towel dry her hair in which the older man nodded in agreement.

"Of course. Remember to pack all your things and double check so you don't forget anything. We don't want you looking bad on your first day."

"Grandpa..." Brittany sighed with a small smile shaking her head, "I'll be just fine. I'm a Pierce."

The older man chuckled. "Of course you are. Okay, well I'll leave you to get ready and you just meet me downstairs when you're done."

"I won't be too long."

"I know. Just like your mother you are." The older man smiled before exiting the room.

Lucky for Brittany there was actually a mirror in the room above the desk which meant that she had something besides her phone to look at when doing her hair and makeup. Not that she wore a lot but she liked to look nice when leaving the house. Plus even though she swore she would keep herself guarded, she was looking forward to seeing Santana. Something about her was just...captivating. With that thought in mind, Brittany allowed a smile to form on her face and continued on getting ready. She decided on a pair of skinny jeans, a top with a picture of a tiger on it with her leather jacket on top and a pair of boots. She looked in the mirror and smiled. It was definitely different than what she usually wore but she liked it.

Once she had gotten herself ready and had eaten she picked up her bag off of the floor, packed her school things along with her phone and iPod making her way down the stairs with her bag upon her shoulder. Her grandpa was sat in his usual seat watching the morning news when he turned his head upon hearing the door open. He got up and put his coat and hat on.

"Thanks for doing this." Brittany murmured looking at the floor. "I know it's not the most convenient of things"

"Are you kidding? I'm glad you are here and that you want to go to school." He assured putting his hand on her shoulder. "I'm proud of you no matter what anyone says, okay?"

She nods her head lifting it. She accepts his words making her way to the door with her grandpa. She knows that her grandfather drives so it isn't any secret when he opens the garage to see his old car still there. She chuckles and walks to the passenger side of the car once he's opened it and gets in. Her grandpa looks at her with a confused expression which makes Brittany even more amused.

"You still have this old thing?" She asks putting her bag down on the floor between her legs. "It's old."

"This old thing that you say has been around for years. You rode in this as a child thank you very much and it is still going."

Brittany can't help but smirk at him. "Exactly my point grandpa; you need something new."

This time her grandpa laughs "New? I don't need new when I have quality already. Now shush and let me drive you to school so we don't make you late."

Brittany chuckles leaving her grandpa to it to start the car watching the street go by whilst they make their way to the school. They technically could have walked but she didn't want him straining himself just to take her to the school so she accepts the lift anyway.

He parks the car in the parking lot and gets out along with Brittany walking with her up to the school. Students were around and looking at her but after glaring at a few of them, the people around her stopped staring.

"Brittany, stop glaring."

She gave a heavy sigh. "I wouldn't need to if they wouldn't stare."

"You are new so they are going to."

Brittany holds her bag strap as they walk up to reception mumbling. "Still doesn't give them the right to stare."

The elderly man shot her a look telling her 'don't argue with me' which Brittany got since she didn't say another word. He turned back to the receptionist talking to her about Brittany starting school today whilst Brittany leant against the wall watching the students pass by going to lesson. Just by looking at a few people she noticed what the hierarchy was like in the school. There were the Jocks, Cheerleaders, Goths, Nerds and by the looks of it, just the regular people. She would have to look more into that as she stayed here so she knew exactly who to avoid.

Once her grandpa was done they were led to the Principal's office which, as she remembers, she'd been to before. The principal came out to greet the both of them shaking his hand.

"Thank you for bringing your granddaughter to school, Mr Pierce. I assure you she will love it here." The Principal, who she remembers is Principal Figgins, says in greeting. "My name is Principal Figgins and if you need anything you just let me know."

"John Pierce. I have no doubt about that, I assure you." Her grandpa responds chuckling putting a hand on her shoulder. "My granddaughter chose the school and I trust her judgment."

"Well, I'm glad Brittany chose us as a school. We'll look after her." Principal Figgins says with a smile. "If you want to get off we can take it from here."

John nods his head turning to Brittany putting his hands on her shoulders. "I'll see you tonight. Don't cause trouble and have a good day. I'll see you tonight."

"As if I will cause trouble but your requests are being processed," Brittany smirks before hugging him. "Bye, grandpa. I love you."

He pulls away raising his eyebrow at her which causes Brittany to let out a small laugh. "Sorry, I forgot. Ik hou van jou , Opa."

"That's better." He gives his granddaughter a smile. "Ik hou van jou , Kleindochter. If your mother isn't here to keep up your Dutch then I will. Have a good day."

Brittany watches him leave before turning to her Principal who she had met previously last week at their meeting. He gave her a smile motioning for her to go into the office. She sat down but when he was about to close the door she turned to him before he did.

"Could you...um...leave it open?" She asks wearily biting her lip nervously.

"Sorry, my memory gets to me sometimes. You said that when you were last here as well." He says shaking his head sitting on the other side of the desk getting out a piece of paper pushing it towards her. "This is your timetable and on the top of the sheet is which locker is yours and the combination for it. If you need anything, and I mean anything, just let me know."

She nods mumbling a 'thank you' before walking out the room and out to the hall. Looking at her sheet it states her locker is number 45 and lucky for her, they all have numbers on so she makes her way down the hall looking for hers.

Brittany eventually finds hers so she stops and puts the combination in that's on the street and pulls expecting it to open but it remains shut. She sighs in frustration trying again but it still remains shut.

"Bloody thing." She mumbles checking the sheet to make sure she got it right.

"Need some help?" A voice behind her asks. She turns around and sees a boy standing there with a Letterman jacket on and a dopey smile on his face.

"Yeah, my locker won't open." Brittany sighs defeated moving out the way when he walks towards her locker looking at the combination on her sheet entering it but, lucky for him, it opens. She smiles as he motions to her now open locker.

"There you go. Sometimes you need to jiggle it a bit before it'll open." He states holding his hand out. "I'm Finn Hudson."

"Brittany Pierce."

"You're new I assume?"

She lets out a nervous laugh. "Is it that obvious?"

He gives her a smile shaking his head. "Nah I'm just wondering since I've never seen you before."

"I'm new." Brittany sighed nodding her head putting her books into the locker but leaving her English book in her bag since it shows that she has that lesson first. "Um...where's room E4?"

"Down the hall and it's the first door on your left. Can't miss it."

"Thank you. I'll see you around."

Brittany gives the boy a small smile in gratitude then makes her way down the hall. Once she finds the room she notices that the teacher didn't seem to be there yet so she walks in taking a seat at the back of the class. Better this way since it's less likely she'll be chosen to speak. She got her book and pen out waiting for the teacher to show up. Everyone else was in their own conversation when she felt her phone vibrate. She looked at her phone to see Jason trying to phone her again. Sighing she decided to turn her phone off and put it in her bag so she wouldn't need to deal with that. She knew that as soon as she answered that call she'd be done and she was not about to ruin that now.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Okay, so this school wasn't too bad. Yes, the teacher sucked and the students weren't any better but it wasn't that bad. Brittany had never been too into the learning at school but she was actually getting into it because, for once, the content wasn't actually boring. She could see herself actually learning for once and it wasn't all because of the content but also due to the fact that she wasn't scared at the place she was living and could get work done and keep on top of things.

Brittany was making her way towards the bathroom when she was shoved hard against the locker. She gasped in surprise when she saw a bunch of footballers smirking at her as though she was an attraction they found amusing. One thing people didn't know was that she could actually defend herself but she was not about to make a big deal out of this so she just stood up straight looking back at the footballers.

"Can I help you?" She asked calmly.

"You're the new girl." One of them said which made her laugh making the others frown in confusion.

"So? What's it to you?"

Another footballer laughed. "Well since you're new we thought we'd give you a nice McKinley High greeting."

Before Brittany could say anything one of them threw what looked like a slushy into her face which made her eyes burn but all she did was glare at them whilst they laughed. She promised her grandpa she'd be good so reacting was not going to do anything. The footballer who was in the middle came right up to her face smirking.

"Welcome to McKinley High...loser."

She glared at him shoving him away from her walking to the bathroom throwing her backpack hard onto the ground. She was about to start rubbing her eyes when she felt a hand on her arm. She looked up to see Santana standing there giving her a sympathetic smile.

"Don't rub your eyes or it'll just irritate them more."

Brittany sighed in frustration. "What is their problem? I did nothing wrong and they just come up to me and throw this slushy in my face. What's the deal with that?"

"Yeah, sorry that's what they do to all new people," Santana says before taking a paper towel and starting to dab Brittany's eyes slowly getting the slushy out of them. "Don't take it personally."

"Don't take it personally? That's the best advice you have right now?" Brittany snapped. "I have slushy in my eyes!"

"I know it sucks but you should be left alone now and don't yell at me for it. I didn't do it to you."

The blond grumbled looking down at the floor before Santana lifts her chin back up so she can focus on what she's doing. "I know you didn't but it just pisses me off how guys like that can do things to others and get away with it."

"They won't get away with it forever," Santana says moving to clean out the other eye. "I don't know how things were at your other school but here it will be different. We're in the state of Ohio. Being different is frowned upon all the time so it's best to just try and fit in."

Brittany looks right at the Latina and frowns. "Oh and you'd know all about fitting in, wouldn't you? You're a cheerleader for god sake."

"Since when is being a cheerleader a bad thing?" Santana asks curiously pulling away once she's cleaned the blonde's eyes. "It's a sport."

Brittany shakes her head turning away from her. Yes, she is being quite harsh but she didn't want to be soft. She was soft at her last school and where did that get her? Nowhere is the answer to that. She takes a paper towel cleaning the rest of her face off keeping her eyes away from the girl beside her. She might think the girl is attractive but by being nice and having friends allows other in and Brittany just couldn't take that risk. She threw the paper towel in the bin turning to the girl.

"You told me you were going to be the type of person for me to hang out with without the whole opening up, correct?"

Santana nodded her head in response. "I did and I still stand by that."

Honestly, Brittany hated being mean to her. She was really trying to be nice and here she was being a bitch. She looked at the girl and saw how honest she seemed to be and nodded her head sighing. She still stands by what she said about being nice but Santana was different. She seemed genuine.

"We can hang out but I mean it when I say no asking questions about my past. I have no intention of telling anyone about it and that includes you too."

"Okay, I won't ask any questions," Santana says with a small smile. "It can't be that bad, can it?"

Brittany raises her eyebrow at the cheerleader. "Did you not hear me?"

"Oh! Crap, I'm sorry I didn't mean-" Santana babbled before Brittany raised her hand to stop her and letting a smile creep upon her face. Santana sighed in relief. "Sorry I didn't mean to ask. It just came out."

"I know stop panicking. It's fine no worries but, as I said, I don't talk about anything that happened in my past so just don't ask." Brittany explained before picking up her backpack making her way to the door. Just as she was about to open the door she turned her head to look back at the brunette with a smile. "Thanks for your help."

Santana smiled nodding her head. "Anytime but just so you know; you need to change your top. You'll be cold all day if you don't."

Brittany nods her head and walks out of the bathroom leaving the brunette in the bathroom to sigh happily. Santana was definitely different than other people she had met but that didn't mean she was going to become best friends with her or anything like that. Taking Santana's advice she walked to the locker room and saw some spare shirts on the side Yes, they might be school shirts but it was better than nothing. She took off her leather jacket and her dirty top swapping it for the clean one and put the dirty one in her backpack before putting her leather jacket back on. She looked down at it and sighed realizing how the top definitely didn't go with the outfit but it was better than being wet and sticky from the slushy. Shaking her head she decided to make her way to the lunchroom to grab some food before next lesson. Hey, even someone as hot as her needed to eat.

Walking into the cafeteria she noticed how busy it was which didn't bother her too much since at her last school it was the same but it was different last time since she didn't have everyone pushing in line to stand next to her like she did at her last school. Whilst standing in line it reminded her of the time she met her ex-girlfriend for the first time.

\- 2012 -

 _Cheerleading couldn't have gone any better. She had always been a favorite to the coach due to being able to do anything she asked without complaint. She worked out daily to be able to keep up with all of the routines and it did her well. No one hated her for it though since she was always on hand to help the others on the team. She was a team player and she wanted everyone to do well so, to her, helping everyone else benefited the team as a whole. They had one of the best coaches in the district which meant they were pushed to the limit. Yes, they had all heard about Sue Sylvester but in their opinion, their coach was just like her but less brutal._

 _Brittany was walking to the lunch room with her teammates. The good thing about her was that she could eat what she wanted but not gain any weight. She did enough exercise after all so what was the point in starving herself when she had an amazing body already? Exactly, there is no point._

 _Walking into the cafeteria she instantly walked to stand in line getting her purse out of her bag. She feels eyes on her but then again that isn't unusual. Being one of the most popular girls in the school does that to you and it doesn't exactly go away. But it wasn't just boys either because since she isn't exactly hiding the fact that she is bisexual, she has girl's eyes on her too. It's nice to be noticed but it can get annoying after a while. She shrugs the feeling off and puts her bag back on her shoulder when she notices her bag hit the girl in front of her._

 _"Sorry about that," Brittany muttered not wanting to cause any attention to herself._

 _She's surprised when the girl in front turns around giving her a smile. Okay, wow; this girl is the definition of beautiful. She has brown hair and eyes and comes to about her ear in height. Brittany always thought that height difference between any couple was cute, just not so it was dramatically different. Seriously, Kyle and Lucy in the grade below have a dramatic height difference and she can't help cringing every time they are near her._

 _"It's okay no worries. I'm Isla. Isla Jones." The girl says holding her hand out. "No need to introduce yourself. I know who you are."_

 _Brittany bites her lip looking down then looking back up shaking her hand feeling sparks as soon as their hands touch. She looks down at their hands noticing how their hands are still shaking so she pulls her hand back laughing nervously. What is wrong with her?_

 _"Well, I am well known so it doesn't surprise me actually. Are you new?" Brittany asks watching as the girl shakes her head._

 _"No, I actually started a few weeks ago. It's okay, though, I don't expect you to know me."_

 _Okay so not noticing people or things isn't uncommon for her but then again she can't help but feel awful that she didn't know that she had started. Just because she was one of the top cheerleaders didn't mean that she bullied anyone because of it. Actually, their school was one of the few schools in the state that had a no tolerance bullying policy that was actually followed through. Anyone who bullied others were suspended and if they continued to bully anyone then they were expelled and with the opportunities people got from this school, it usually stopped at the suspension. But back to the topic at hand. How could she miss this girl? She was gorgeous after all and Brittany was usually pretty good at noticing good looking people._

 _"I'm sorry and I do mean that. It's just as a cheerleader you see people come and go all the time and I must have missed you." Brittany explained sincerely. "I'm often in my own head so I apologize for that."_

 _Isla smiles nodding her head. "I understand and I accept your apology."_

 _The pair of girls stood looking at one another when they heard the lunch lady clear her throat to get her attention. Isla turned her head to see that she was holding up the line. She blushed taking a tray walking to where the food was. Brittany smiled and followed her. Seriously, Isla was adorable when she was blushing. Damn it, did she really think that just now? Brittany got her food after Isla moving to the till but stopped the other girl when she went for her purse. She got some money out of her own handing it to the lunch lady before walking away afterwards with Isla in tow._

 _"You didn't have to do that."_

 _"I know but I wanted to," Brittany responded turning to face Isla. "You can make it up to me by joining me for lunch."_

 _Isla raised her eyebrow in surprise. "Oh yeah? And if I don't?"_

 _Brittany chuckled. "Then you will have the joy of seeing my face at another time."_

 _"My friends are waiting for me so I guess I'll be seeing your face again," Isla says winking before walking away._

 _Brittany bit her lip watching the girl walk away. Damn that girl is good. Brittany saw her friends waving her over so she let her eyes move away from her and walked towards the table where her friends were sitting._

\- 2014 -

Sighing she got her food and went to pay for it. She did miss her but she had to break up with her due to her leaving. She had decided a few days in advance so she broke up with her not that long ago actually. It still hurt but it was for the best. Jason knew about them dating and even though he wasn't fond of it, he didn't stop them, which was actually quite weird.

Shaking her thoughts out of her head she walked to a table sitting down not wanting to be bothered. The food they had given her didn't exactly look appealing so she pushed it away from her getting her phone out of her bag. She turned it back on and went to her pictures to look at the pictures she had on there of her friends, ex-girlfriend and her mother. She missed all of them and would do anything to be with them again but what was the point in feeling sorry for herself? She had a life here now and she had her grandpa who was doing a lot to make sure she felt comfortable and at home.

Everyday Brittany looked at her phone awaiting a phone call from her mother's doctor to tell her she's awake and okay but it still hasn't come yet. She would love for it to happen but what were the chances of that? She'd been in a coma for two years and she still hadn't woken up so it was possible she may never wake up. She hated thinking of that prospect but it was a possibility. Sighing she put her phone away and back into her bag turned off standing up to leave when someone sits beside her. Santana.

"You're not leaving are you?" She asks.

"Well I was about to but if you're staying then I might as well, right?" Brittany responds before sitting back down.

"Look we don't have to sit together if it's too much for you," Santana says frowning at the blonde. "Don't let me keep you if you have somewhere to be."

"I'm sorry I was just thinking about something and it just got to me a bit. I don't want you to go, Santana. You're not actually that bad to hang out with." Brittany explains shaking her head. "I just...I'm just adjusting to living here that's all."

Santana sighs before nodding her head. Of course, it must be different living in a new place that's different from where you're used to living. She wouldn't know herself since she's lived in Lima her entire life but she understood. Last year she went to LA with the Glee Club to sing at Nationals and it was different waking up somewhere new but, of course, she had her home to go back to. Brittany didn't. She had moved somewhere new so she wouldn't say she understood. She couldn't. But she could relate to that in some way.

"It must be hard moving away from home," Santana says turning her body to face Brittany's. "I won't say I understand, because I don't, but I can relate to it a bit since I've stayed away from home before. But obviously, that's different." Santana adds and smiles when she hears Brittany chuckle.

"Yeah, it's a bit different since you can go home afterwards. I'm okay though and I'll get used to it."

Santana looked down nodding. "True. How are you settling in at home?"

"You mean how am I settling into my grandpa's house?" Brittany thought to herself before shrugging her shoulders. "I'm settling in okay I guess. Could be worse, right?"

Santana laughed nodding in agreement. "Very true but then again could be better."

"Could be better, yes."

Before either of the girls could say anything else two people sat down opposite them. Brittany noticed the boy from earlier but she didn't know who the other one was. She was short and just by looking at her she could tell she was annoying. Brittany was a people person so she was good at reading others and knowing who she would be able to stand and who she wouldn't. Unfortunately, in this case, she wouldn't be able to but she had to try and be nice.

"Berry you and your lump of a boyfriend can get lost right now."

"Santana, it's okay. Don't worry about it." Brittany assured with a small smile.

"You do not want to be on the same table as them, trust me. Manhands over here is the most annoying human being on the face of this planet." Santana says raising her voice turning to glare at the two people who just joined the table.

"I'll have you know Santana I am in no way annoying. I am just an overachiever and I have goals but I would rather be who I am than be someone like you who is moody 24/7." The girl sitting next to Finn started talking to Santana whilst she just sat there listening, but one thing was for certain. She was annoying.

"Oh do not even go there with me Berry!" Santana snapped.

"I am just being honest Santana. Frankly, it is rather worrying how much anger is built up inside that 5'5 body of yours." The girl went on but from what Brittany can see, no one is actually listening apart from the girl herself. Figures.

"Okay dwarf how about-" Santana goes to say before Brittany holds up her hand to stop her. Santana looks at her curiously but nods her head anyway. Brittany turns to the other brunette across from the table.

"I have been in your company no more than a minute or two and you are already starting to get on my nerves, so if you could stop doing that it would be much appreciated."

"And who are you exactly?" She asks raising her eyebrow. "I don't believe we've met. I'm-"

"Yeah, I don't care," Brittany says cutting the brunette off. "What I do care about is the fact you only get one lunch during the day and mine is being ruined by your annoying little voice which I don't care to hear. Oh, and by the way, you are smaller than Santana so don't go on about her height when you are shorter than her."

"But I was just-" The brunette started to say but Brittany raised her hand for her to stop talking.

"Stop talking. What are you, 5'2 or something and you're talking to Santana about her height?" Brittany asks laughing. "I mean that is just rich, really."

The girl frowned. "I'm 5'3."

"And I still don't care," Brittany responded shrugging her shoulders. "Please leave. I'm trying to enjoy my lunch and you're ruining it. I won't ask again."

The brunette frowns then turns to her boyfriend. "Come on Finn, let's just go."

He nods and they both get up and leave with Finn sending her a small smile of apology. Brittany nods and turns to face Santana who was smirking at her.

"What?"

Santana laughed shaking her head. "You are amazing. I mean the way you just ranted to her was classic. Something I thought only Quinn and I did."

"She was just getting on my nerves and I didn't like the way she spoke to you," Brittany said with a shrug. "Who's Quinn?"

"She's my friend. Known her since I started this school in freshman year." Santana answered taking a bite of the salad that had been on her plate since she sat down. "She's the one who got me to try out for the Cheerios."

"Do you like being a cheerleader?" Brittany asks curiously. Ever since she had stopped being a cheerleader she had to admit she missed it but she didn't want to betray her team back home by joining another.

"It's alright I guess. I mean Coach Sylvester is a bit brutal but she makes sure we do well and she's a great coach." Santana smiled looking up from her food. "It may seem weird that I go through all that just to be a cheerleader but it's more than just a sport to me."

Brittany understood exactly what she meant. She felt the same when she was a cheerleader. It was more than just a sport; their team was like a family and they supported each other no matter what. She missed them and she wanted to text them so bad and had to even turn her phone off sometimes to stop herself from doing so. She's the head cheerleader, well was, and even though Katie can take over her spot, she's not as good as her. Not to be big headed or anything but Katie just doesn't have that confidence to lead a team like she does. She was in the process of helping her when she was at the school but when she had to leave she couldn't continue doing it, so before she left she sent Katie an email of the routines she had planned for the year since she had no idea how long she would be.

"I understand more than you know."

Santana goes to ask what she meant but then she remembered she promised to not ask questions so she just nodded her head and smiled. They both heard the bell go off signaling the end of lunch which made both girls groan.

"Urgh, always the best parts of the day that feel so short and go quickly," Santana complained standing up. "Ready for lesson?"

"I've actually got a free period funnily enough but I'll walk you to class."

Santana smiles and once Brittany stands up they make their way to Santana's classroom. Even though she wanted to keep her walls up it didn't mean she couldn't be friends with Santana. Plus come on, who wouldn't want to be with someone like her? With that thought in mind, she walked her to class trying to figure out what she was to do in her free period.


	5. Five

"What's with you hanging around the new girl?"

Santana looked up at her friend with a frown. "What's it to you?"

"Nothing, I was just wondering since I saw you hanging around her at lunch," Quinn said with a shrug of her shoulders putting her books into her bag. "You know her or something?"

Picking her bag up and putting her books in her own bag, Santana wasn't sure whether to admit that she had, in fact, met the girl before she even joined the school. What would she say? She hadn't mentioned the girl really, so Santana understood why it would look a bit odd to be talking and sitting with someone on their first day of school. Not that she cared or anything. Well, maybe a little.

"She's just a girl who joined the school today so how would I know her? She's not related to me or anything if that's what you think."

"Why would I think she's related to you? She is clearly white, Santana." Quinn stated rolling her eyes walking out of the room with Santana. "Why is it that every conversation we have you seem to turn it into an argument?"

"I don't," Santana said defending herself. "You just ask questions about stuff that is none of your business."

Quinn sighed in frustration shaking her head giving up. "Fine, I'll stop asking about your life. Look, when you decide that you actually want a friend, I'm here."

"Quinn, I didn't mean-" Santana started to say but she saw the blonde put her hand up signalling for her to stop.

"It's fine, I get it. Just text me later."

Santana was about to say something else but Quinn walked away before she could get a word in edgeways. Sighing Santana made her way to her locker putting her books away. It wasn't as though she meant to be a bitch to Quinn; she just...had stuff going on. Okay, that was technically a lie since Quinn was going through the same things as her, only without the whole lesbian thing. She just didn't want people talking about her and assuming she was gay or something. That would be everything she worked for down the drain, and she wasn't about to risk it just for the sake of being who she really was. She had time for that once she had left high school.

She closed her locker and was about to go when she saw Brittany standing there. She jumped in fright not expecting to see her there.

"Brittany! What are you doing there?"

Brittany looked at the girl raising my eyebrow motioning to her locker. "This is my locker. I'm putting stuff into it and taking stuff out just like you are supposed to do."

"Sorry, you just surprised me. I didn't see you."

Brittany nodded her head. "No worries I get it. Sorry, we keep seeing each other like this."

"No need to apologise; can't be helped," Santana said dismissing her comment shrugging her shoulders. "You know that top definitely does not go with that outfit."

Looking down at her top, Brittany chuckled. "Well it was the best top I could find in there, so unless the school is going to start stocking up on decent tops to wear, I had no choice."

"Well if they do let me know," Santana responded with a smile. "Well, I've got to get to English so I'll see you around."

"See you later."

Santana walked off and couldn't help but think about the blonde. She couldn't help herself but on a completely unrelated note, one thing she knew was that she had to find Quinn and apologise for earlier. She was only asking questions after all and it didn't exactly give her the right to snap at her. She made her way to her classroom sitting down thinking of what she was going to say to Quinn when she next saw her.

Xxxxxxxxxx

The bell went off signalling the end of the day which made Brittany feel a hell lot happier. It was weird being at a new school and not being surrounded by all of her old friends and her girlfriend, well, ex-girlfriend now. She would never admit this to anyone but she actually missed the attention she received at her old school. She loved people checking her out and wanting to be her friend but the problem with all of that was that when she went home, everything was different She wasn't the happy cheerleader that everyone knew and loved. She was miserable and scared, but she didn't want anyone knowing so she hid it away from everyone. She refused to let her girlfriend at the time go over to her house with the excuse that her step-father didn't like company, which wasn't generally a lie. He did hate company; her company. Ever since her mother was in that 'accident' he started to basically see himself as the man of the house but Brittany had no intention of listening to him. He wasn't her father and if it wasn't for school she'd have gone and lived with her own father.

Ever since her mother's so-called 'accident' she made it her mission to find out the truth. It was weird how it happened because according to police she crashed into another car with a lot of force, but she knew her mother was a careful driver, which made things suspicious since the roads weren't exactly slippery at the time of the crash. Had the car being tampered with? Was it actually the other driver's car that crashed into her? Was the crash planned? She had all these questions in her head over the past two, nearly three, years. But if it was planned then who would do something like that? Who would purposely put her mother's life at risk? All signals pointed to Jason but he was at a work party that night so he couldn't have caused it. Or could he?

He had been acting very out of character the week prior to the crash. For example, he hadn't really been around her mom that much as though he was trying to distance himself, and there was the fact that he seemed to take his phone calls out of the room which he never did before. Okay, maybe that was work phoning him but Brittany doubted it. Jason had never been a very nice man in her eyes and she highly suspected that he only started dating her mom so he could get closer to something...or someone. He seemed the type of person to do that and Brittany had experienced his attitude first hand to know when he was acting differently.

Brittany walked out of the school thinking over small details whilst walking back to her grandpa's house when a boy turned up next to her. She raised her eyebrow noticing it was the boy from earlier on who she met in the library during her free period. His name was Kurt or something like that.

"Hey?"

The boy smiled. "Hey. Remember me from earlier? We had a free period together."

"Oh yeah. Kurt, right?" Brittany asked for confirmation in which Kurt responded with a nod of his head.

"That's me. How was your first day?"

Brittany shrugged her shoulders holding onto her bag strap. "It was okay I guess. It's different from my last school."

"Understandable. Where did you live previously?" Kurt asked, curiously.

"No offence but I don't feel comfortable sharing about my past with someone I hardly know."

Kurt nodded his head in understanding. "I get it. You hardly know me but you do seem to know Santana Lopez."

"No, I hardly know Santana. I met her on my first day here and she's decent enough to hang out with. Sue me for being friendly."

"I'm only messing with you, Brittany." Kurt laughed after seeing her reaction to his comment. "You like her?"

"What?" Brittany asked turning her head towards him quickly. "I don't like her. I mean, I don't like her in that way if that's what you're asking. I like her as in someone who likes one's company, that's all. Friendly."

The boy raised his eyebrow smirking. "Sure about that? You don't seem too sure."

"I'm sure, now stop asking questions! I don't like being questioned."

"Okay, okay, I apologise." Kurt said. "I just want you to know that if you ever need anything, text me. We may have just met today but you seem pretty cool and even though your fashion sense seems a lot different from most girls I know, I'd still like to be someone you can talk to."

Brittany nodded her head. She remembered earlier on that Kurt had literally taken her phone away from her from its place on the table and added his number to it. He added another girl's number too, Mercedes or something like that. She was insistent on being left alone but apparently, that wasn't possible. In a way, she didn't mind as it was nice to have company again, but in another, it was bad because the more friends she had, the more people would be interested in her and that was not a good thing.

She was about to turn back and talk to Kurt when she suddenly had this feeling that she was being watched. She knew this feeling all too well since she felt it a lot back home and it made her very uncomfortable. Now all she wanted was to get back to her grandpa's and stay there. At least she knew she would be safe.

"Look, Kurt, I have to get back so I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

"Of course! I'll see you tomorrow, Brittany." He responded with a smile.

Brittany gave him a small smile then walked away from him and towards her grandpa's at a fast pace. She kept looking from side to side to see if she could spot anyone but when she couldn't, it made her worry even more. She knew that technically she had no reason to be worried since she hadn't lived there that long and there was no way she would be able to be traced either, but there was still this sense of panic that overcame her. What if he had found her? What would she do? There was no way she was going to go back with him. No way.

Once she made it to the house she opened the door shutting it quickly leaning her back against it closing her eyes. Things couldn't be getting bad already. First, she had gotten slushied this morning and now she had this feeling of being watched too? Tomorrow had to be better than today. It just had to be. She opened her eyes to see her grandpa looking at her with a worried expression consuming his face.

"Are you okay, Brittany?" He asked with concern. "You look scared."

Brittany nodded standing up straight putting her bag on the floor. Should she tell her grandpa about how she felt? But if she did that then it meant going into everything that happened in Phoenix and she wasn't ready for that conversation. She didn't think she ever would be ready, but definitely not right now. She decided to put a fake smile on her face instead and pretend everything was okay. She'd had enough practice to do it convincingly.

"I'm fine Grandpa. Just a stressful first day, that's all." Brittany lied, walking past him to get herself a glass of water. "It's a new place so I'm just getting used to it."

John looked at his granddaughter for a few minutes before deciding to dismiss it. She was probably right after all and that he was just worrying over nothing. It had happened before when she first turned up at his door and she seemed fine now. Well...fine wasn't a word he would use, but she was doing okay from what he could see, even though he had a feeling she was hiding something from him. It did hurt since they were close when she was growing up but things change and he knew that. He would just have to keep an eye on her.

"Okay, but you know you can tell me anything, right? I'm your grandpa."

Brittany turned to face him with a smile. "Of course, grandpa. I love you but nothing is wrong; just a stressful first day."

"Okay but I do have something I want to ask you."

"Well, I'm all ears."

John motioned for Brittany to sit down. Once she did he sat down on the chair he usually sat in and looked at her thinking about how to address it without her walking away.

"Brittany you talked about your mother's husband, Jason, and it seems to me as though you don't trust him."

"What? I never said that I didn't trust him." Brittany said shaking her head taking a sip of her drink. "I said he was someone to be wary of."

"Which means, in other words, you don't trust him; I was just curious as to why you don't."

Brittany froze. What was she going to say now? There were a lot of reasons to why she didn't trust the man, but she couldn't tell anyone what they were. For one she was terrified about how they would react, and two, she didn't want someone to think she was lying. Brittany was many things, but she was no liar. She was always honest which was why people trusted her so much. But if she told the truth this time, it could tear her family apart and she didn't want that.

"No reason. It's probably because I'm just jealous over how much time he spends with her and it means her spending less time with me."

John frowned. "Don't lie to me, Brittany. That is not the real reason and we both know it."

Sighing Brittany shook her head. "Look, Grandpa, we both know how honest I am; it's one of the reasons why I am such a trustworthy person."

He nodded his head. "This is true."

"But this time, I can't tell you why I don't trust him. I have my reasons and that is enough for me to not trust the man. But between you and me, his past speaks for himself." Brittany explained before standing up walking to her bag and picking it up. She turned back to her Grandpa giving him a small smile and walking towards the stairs.

John was astounded. Brittany was always such an open person and now she was keeping secrets? Did something happen that made her this way? John shook his head standing up making himself a cup of coffee. As much as he wanted to go and talked to her again, it wouldn't do any good. If Brittany had a reason to have secrets, she wouldn't be so willing to share them but John knew that no matter what it took, his granddaughter would be kept safe and he was going to find out exactly who this man was. Brittany was hiding something and even though it was clear that she didn't want to tell John about Jason, it didn't mean he couldn't find out for himself.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Walking through the park Santana was thinking about a certain blonde. It was hard not to with the amount of times she saw her now. No matter what they just kept bumping into one another and that was without doing it on purpose as well. She wasn't sure exactly what to think since she had done everything to keep her secret hidden. Brittany was just making things a lot more complicated and she didn't like that She didn't like how she loved seeing her beautiful blonde hair when it was blowing behind her whilst she walked. She didn't like how every time she looked into her eyes it reminded her of the ocean. She especially didn't like how her legs looked as though they went on forever with how long they were and how she couldn't keep looking at them or her physique. Sighing Santana stopped and sat down on a bench. Sometimes hiding who she was was stressful and she didn't like it. She wished she had the confidence to be someone like Kurt and just be herself. She wished she had that courage, but she didn't. She was scared because she had worked so hard to keep her reputation up at school that something like this could bring it down very easily. Luckily no one knew but it would like one wrong move, such as looking at a girl too long, for her secret to be out and for her to be ruined.

Looking around she saw different couples such as skinny couples, chubby couples, a chubby and skinny couple and so on, but from what she saw they were all straight couples. Around Lima, you didn't see gay couples due to the majority of the state being against it. Well, it hadn't been proven but even if there were people around like her, it wasn't as though it was 'normal'. Being 'normal' was liking the opposite sex, not the same sex, which made her even more of an outcast. It wasn't as though she hadn't tried to be like everyone else but she just couldn't. She had dated guys in the past and it was too uncomfortable for her. She couldn't do it. But now, people were noticing that. They knew something was different because she wasn't dating anyone and for a cheerleader to not be dating anyone was definitely out of character.

She was about to get up and walk home when she felt someone sit beside her. She turned her head to see Quinn sat there. Well, it was certainly a surprise to see her sat there, especially after what she had said to her earlier on that day. She noticed how she was just looking ahead at the pond instead of looking at her, but Santana understood why she wouldn't want to look at her. They sat there in silence just looking at the pond; watching the ducks swim around the circumference of it. They actually looked kind of cute.

"Do you know why we are friends?"

Santana shrugged. "We met on the first day of high school so I guess we just stuck together after that."

Quinn shook her head. "We have each other's backs and we don't judge one another. We joined Cheerios together and have had many sleepovers. I've listened to your problems and you've listened to mine."

"I know, but what does that have to do with anything?" Santana asked curiously. "It has nothing to do with our argument."

"It does actually because this year you have been a lot more defensive than normal. I've noticed it more and more."Quinn told the Latina turning her head to look at her. "Do you trust me at all?"

"What? Of course, I do."

"Then why didn't you tell me you're gay?" Quinn asked curiously. "I'm your best friend and you know I would never judge you."

Santana felt her heart beat faster. Quinn knew? How could she know when she hadn't made it obvious to anyone? Did more people know? She felt herself start to panic more the more she thought about it. Did her family know too? What about the other Cheerios? If people began to find out who she really was it could ruin her and that was the last thing she wanted. She jumped when she felt Quinn's hand rest on her arm. She turned her head to see her giving her a small smile.

"H-How do you know?" Santana asked looking around and lowering her voice. "This can't get out Quinn. If people find out I'm gay they'll use it against me and I just...I can't have that. I can't."

"Woah calm down S. I've known for a while and after the way you reacted today, it just confirmed my suspicions." Quinn explained looking at Santana. "You acted as though someone seeing you around her was a bad thing. You brought out your defensive mechanism which, by the way, you have been doing a lot more this year."

Santana nodded her head looking down at her hands. She hadn't meant to act like that but when you are constantly keeping a secret, it does come out. She only acts like it at school since at home she doesn't feel the need to defend herself all the time since her family only ask about her dating life when she brings someone home. She doesn't tend to bring anyone home though which is why she doesn't panic at home.

"Does anyone else know?"

"I don't think so. I only know because I know you. You haven't had a boyfriend in a while and you don't tend to talk about boys." Quinn explains. "I'm not going to tell anyone, I promise."

Nodding her head she didn't dare look up in case someone was around that she knew. She was still in shock over Quinn knowing and she was not about to have anyone else finding out. That would be riskier.

"Thank you And I'm sorry about being all defensive. You're right; I have been doing that a lot more lately."

Quinn nods and chuckles. "Only last week you shoved this freshman just for looking at you."

"I remember," Santana says laughing. "I think I was at my locker and she was looking me over and I didn't want people thinking I allowed that. Least she knows not to look anymore."

"Oh, she definitely knows. I'm pretty sure she avoids you now." Quinn smirks before taking her bottle of water out of her bag.

Santana chuckled before stopping looking back at the pond leaning her back against the bench. It did make her feel bad knowing someone was now avoiding her because of that but that was just who she was at school. She was a bitch but for some reason, she couldn't be like that to Brittany. She was different which meant that she acted differently towards her. She just moved here and obviously had a past she didn't want anyone to know for reasons she didn't know. Santana wanted to know what had happened to her but Brittany said she didn't want to be asked questions and she accepted that. Santana knew she would hate someone butting into her life if she had told them she didn't want to talk about it.

"Are you okay?" Quinn asked bringing Santana out of her thoughts.

"Huh?"

"You went all quiet a minute ago, you okay?" Quinn asked again with a concerned look on her face. "You can talk to me about anything, you know that."

Santana just felt relief that someone knew. It had been a secret for a long time and now that one of her friends knew? It made her feel better since it meant she wasn't carrying out this huge secret alone. Someone knew about her and she was glad it was Quinn. Damn it, she was going back into her head again instead of listening. She would have to work on that or people would notice something was wrong. Santana looked at her friend nodding her head.

"I'm good. Sorry, I just keep going into my own thoughts."

Quinn smiled. "It's okay. What are you thinking about?"

"About how relieved I am that someone else knows the truth about me." Santana answered with a small smile "Nothing gets past you, does it?"

"That's an understatement." Quinn chuckled putting her hand on Santana's leg. "I know we aren't close as some friends are, but I am here for you. Remember that."

Santana nodded with a smile of gratitude watching Quinn stand up and walk away. She sighed closing her eyes for a second enjoying the silence around her. She opened her eyes again looking at the pond. She may not be ready to come out to anyone but one person knowing was enough for her. It was more people than she wanted to know since even one person knowing is risky, but at least it was someone she trusted.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Keeping something from her grandpa wasn't something she wanted to do, just like she didn't want to be laying in bed right now looking at the ceiling. There were a lot more productive activities she could be doing but she couldn't bring herself to do them. She sighed sitting up looking around the room. How is it that one person can ruin everything without being around? Shaking her head she stood up picking her bag up off of the floor getting her books out. She may not have had homework on the first day but that didn't mean she couldn't catch up on some reading. Wow...that sounded extremely nerdy for her to say. When she was living in Phoenix she would be hanging around with her friends and girlfriend but no. She was stuck without anyone around to keep her entertained or to stop her from dying from boredom.

Deciding to find something to do she picked her phone up and flicked through her contacts for someone around here to talk to when she stopped and saw Santana's name. She didn't even realise she had her number. Had someone put her number in her phone without her noticing? Well, it could have been Santana but there was no harm in asking, right?

To Santana: Hey it's Brittany. Did you add your number to my phone?

She sent it and not ten seconds later she got a reply. Why her heart was beating faster was a mystery. She's just a girl after all.

From Santana: I wondered how long it would take you to notice. Sorry, I didn't tell you, I just thought you could have my number just in case, you know?

To Santana: I get it but when did you even add your number? I don't recall you even having my phone today

Shaking her head in disbelief she sent the message. That girl was one sneaky person to be able to get into her phone and add her number without her noticing. She had done it to other people before, such as her ex Isla, but no one has done it to her because she's quite observant. Maybe she dropped her phone or something? Who knows? It wasn't long before Santana responded.

 **From Santana: You didn't notice but you dropped your phone on the floor so I took that opportunity to add my number. I know it's creepy but I wasn't sure how else to do it**

Well, she was right about one thing. She didn't notice her phone drop on the floor earlier so maybe she was sneaky in that aspect but why not just give the number to her personally? What is with people in the school not giving numbers out? That's the second person today who's just added their number to her phone. Seriously, people today.

 **To Santana: You know you could have just given me your number instead of going through all that. Much easier ;)**

A winky face? Seriously, what is she playing at? Okay so the girl is pretty, so what? There are many pretty girls in the school that she could be talking to so why does Santana get to her so much? Groaning, she laid back on her bed before hearing her phone vibrate on the bed. She just wanted to ignore it but she couldn't. She wanted to text this girl. She wanted to get to know her. She wanted so much but sometimes getting what you want isn't always the right choice. Santana could easily be someone she doesn't like if that's even possible since people hide who they really are a lot of the time when they start seeing someone. Not that they are or anything...but they could be...one day...maybe. Knowing she wouldn't be able to resist, Brittany picked up her phone once more.

 **From Santana: But that's taking the fun out of it :P**

Shaking her head she put her phone on the desk moving her arm over her eyes sighing happily. It wasn't long ago that she was living in Phoenix scared and alone but for some reason, this girl made her not feel so alone. Yes, she had friends back at her old school, but they didn't understand. They never did because she wouldn't let them. She couldn't. She especially couldn't have allowed Isla to find out what was actually going on. It would have broken her. Now, though, things had changed. She felt safe in the house, not afraid that someone was going to come into her room and disturb her and she had a friend in school that didn't ask questions. She knew Santana had to be curious about where she came from and what had happened to her but she was glad she wasn't asking and was keeping her questions to herself. It's all she wants from her.

Every time she thought about the brunette, however, all she could think about was how beautiful she was. How her fair flowed just perfectly along her shoulders when she had it down, how her brown eyes changed different shades of brown depending on the emotion she was feeling, how she looked not only sexy but beautiful in her cheerleading uniform. She hated to think that guys were just looking at her as someone to fuck in bed. If she had that opportunity she would do everything to make her feel loved and beautiful. She would let the brunette know how beautiful she was and do everything to make her feel good, just the way she deserves.

Brittany sat up straight quickly. She wasn't seriously thinking about that right now. Santana was a friend not someone she was going to make her girlfriend. She would not have time for that kind of relationship around here. She was here to be safe and hidden, not to get a new girlfriend and have fun. Shaking her head she laid back down moving her hands over her face trying to make the thoughts of the Latina disappear but, frankly, it was a lot harder than she initially thought it would be.

She heard the door creak open and close then the weight of another person on the bed. She looked up to see her grandpa sitting on the bed. Brittany looked at him curiously trying to question his appearance in her room without saying anything. He never usually came in since he usually had something else to do.

"Everything okay, Grandpa?" Brittany asked knowing one of them had to say something, or it would turn super weird.

He chuckled. "I should be asking you that. You've been up here for quite some time."

"I know. I just...needed time to think I guess." Brittany responded shrugging her shoulders.

"What about?"

"I guess about everything; school, my mom...Jason."

"What about Jason?" John asked curiously wanting Brittany to explain further. He wanted to know about this man.

Sighing Brittany shrugged again. "He was looking after me before I left so...I'm sure he's looking for me."

John found the way she was acting rather concerning. He had noticed that ever since she came to stay with him she was different. She was more withdrawn and she didn't talk to him as much as she used to. She tended to just stay in her room instead, which wasn't exactly like her. She was acting out of character for her and it worried him. He put his hand on her leg.

"Does that worry you? That he might be out looking for you?"

"I don't want to talk about that." Brittany mumbled, noticing the conversation start to get more serious. "I think I might just take a nap."

John sighed and stood up watching her turn to face the wall curling herself up. He took a blanket from the side laying it over her before leaving the room. Brittany felt her eyes water. She hated making her grandpa feel like he was but...what more could she do? Distancing herself was the only way or he'd start asking more questions like he just had done. It was the same reason she'd told Santana not to question her about her past. The more people knew, the more worried they would become and she didn't want that. Sighing Brittany closed her eyes allowing sleep to take over with thoughts of Santana sneaking into her thoughts. She would be mad but right now, with how tired she was and with everything else she was thinking of, she allowed it.


	6. Six

How is it that when people think of nightmares they still refer them to having a bad dream? Nightmares are a lot different to dreams. They are there to scare you, make you feel fear and show you darkness. Dreams, however, are happy thoughts in your head that you have whilst sleeping. Okay, not all dreams are great but when people explain their dreams different things come up but amongst them are animals, friends, family, celebrities (of course, who doesn't dream about their favorite celebrity?) and other things. But nightmares are different. No one wants to wake up terrified, not that she knows of anyway, instead of relaxed and refreshed. The thing is….Brittany is different.

Things changed after her mother met Jason. Yes, she became happy and Brittany wasn't about to ruin that, but as he made her mom happy, she got more and more unhappy. Especially after the first incident that happened. She hates revealing it but it's part of the reason Brittany has nightmares instead of dreams. She actually used to be a happy child when she was young. She loved life and playing with her friends, but now all she has are bad dreams with sleepless nights and comes home straight after school. She hates it but she can't change them. People say you're in control of your dreams but Brittany thinks differently. She knows it's your mind and you're not always in control. She knows the truth.

It's the same every night and Brittany is just glad her grandfather takes sleeping medication now. When his wife died, John hardly slept. He missed the comfort of her body next to his so when she does he became so bad that he was sleep deprived. He refused to go to the doctors upon request so his next door neighbor made him go. From then on John had sleeping medication to help. It actual works too but what benefit Brittany gets is her grandfather doesn't come in asking questions. That's all she cares about as well as his health.

Tossing and turning was what Brittany was doing in her bed. She had sweat covering her body and was trying to wake up but her body wasn't letting her. She gripped and un-gripped the sheets arching her back wanting to scream but no voice was to be heard. If someone was watching her, they'd be very concerned. She had these every night so she was used to them but that didn't mean she hated them any less. She didn't want them but she didn't have a choice in that. It was what she hated about nightmares. They were filled with fear, trauma and misery. Everything people hate the most.

Brittany jolted up in bed, swearing and panting looking around before reaching overturning the lamp on. She glanced around the room to make sure no one was there before reaching down for the towel beside her bed, which she put there every night before bed so she had something to use to wipe the sweat away. She picked it up moving it off her face and neck then throws it Into the hamper across the room. She laid back down in bed before sitting back up and moving her legs to the edge of the bed standing up and moving to get her glass of water. She puts a glass of water in her room every night too for after the nightmare to keep her hydrated. It helps her after sweating so much.

She makes her way back to the bed laying down and was about to switch off the light when she sees her phone on the side. She feels a pulling sensation as though she's meant to pick it up. She doesn't know why but instead of trying to get to sleep she picks her phone up laying on her back looking at it. She sees the conversation she had with Santana's the night previous and before she can stop herself, she types out a message.

 **To Santana: Hey, you awake?**

She sent the text before she could change her mind. What was she doing? It was doubtful that she was even awake at this time. She looked at the time and noticed it was 4:26 am which is considerably early for a Saturday morning. So you can imagine her surprise when she heard her text tone go off when she was about to put her phone down. Brittany tried to ignore the thumping of her chest and the fluttery feeling In her stomach as she read the message.

 **From Santana: Hey! Yeah, I'm awake. What's up?**

Should she tell Santana the truth or just lie? It wasn't as though she had to explain anything, right? She could just mention that she had a nightmare and leave it at that. Plus Santana had told her that she wouldn't pry into her business. She actually kind of wanted to tell Santana too but she wouldn't admit that. She typed out a response.

 **To Santana: I'm okay. I just had a nightmare and….I wanted to talk to someone I guess. Hope I didn't wake you up**

She had no idea why but Santana was different to any other person she had met. She wanted to get to know her which is a lot more than other people in the past. She was popular at her last school but something always felt off. She had friends because she was popular and the head cheerleader not because of her personality.

Brittany shook her head and jumped slightly when her phone started to vibrate. Santana was calling her. Oh god, what was she meant to do now? Well, the obvious thing would be to answer so after taking a breath she pressed the accept button putting the phone to her ear.

" _Brittany?_ "

She stayed quiet for a few moments before whispering a response. "Yeah, I'm here."

" _How are you feeling? I mean...after the nightmare_." Santana asks concerned.

Brittany looked down at her duvet wanting to tell her the truth about how she had these nightmares frequently, and it was all about the same thing. Her step-father hurting her. She wanted them to go away but how could she? The reason she hated them so much was due to the fact that it wasn't just a nightmare. It was a nightmare that had happened. It was real and she had to relive that memory every single night. She hated it so much but if she told her that then she would expose herself too much. She couldn't let that happen.

"I'm...okay," Brittany responded quietly. "I mean, I'm not, but I'll get there. It was just a nightmare after all. I didn't wake you, did I?"

She heard Santana chuckle through the phone and it made her heart skip a beat. It was the best sound to hear after what she had been through just now. It made her smile.

" _You did, but don't worry about it. I'm more concerned about you than my sleeping pattern right now but thank you for being concerned about me_."

"Always," Brittany whispered truthfully. "I'm sorry for waking you up. It's stupid for me to do that for a nightmare. I just wanted to talk to someone."

" _Brittany, it's not as though you called me. You texted me and I responded so stop worrying and apologizing. I could have easily just ignored you and gone back to sleep_."

They two of them just stayed on the phone not saying a word. It was all Brittany needed right now. She just needed the comfort of someone to help her sleep again. She only had one nightmare a night so she should be safe to go back to sleep. She was usually so it didn't worry her. What she was worried and scared about was how the cheerleader made her feel. She felt...safe. She hardly knew the girl and she felt safe knowing she was on the other end of the phone. She felt weak right now but that wasn't her main concern. She just needed to rest and relax and believe it or not, Santana was helping her just by being on the other end of the phone.

"Santana?"

" _Yeah, Brittany?_ "

Brittany bit her lip. "Can you...stay on the phone...until I fall asleep?" Brittany asked feeling a bit stupid for asking, but she needed sleep.

" _Of course. I'll hang up when I hear you sleeping, okay?_ " Santana agrees.

"Thank you," Brittany whispers getting comfortable in bed again closing her eyes.

She listened to the sound of Santana's breath as a way to keep herself calm. She kept her light on like she usually did after a nightmare but this time she had more than just her light to keep her calm, she had another person too. She heard Santana's breathing one last time before she drifted into a soothing sleep thinking of Santana this time instead of the image of Jason that her nightmares created every night.

Xxxxxxxxxx

After the conversation she had with Santana a few nights ago she had been avoiding contact with her. She made herself vulnerable to her and she hated that. Making yourself vulnerable gives them something to use against you and Brittany was not going to let that happen, she couldn't. Santana was amazing, she really was, and she did feel kind of bad for ignoring the texts she sent where she had asked her if she was okay and if she'd done something wrong. Brittany wanted nothing more than to pick up her phone and respond but what would she say? 'I know I opened myself up to you but I regret that now leave me alone'? It was rude and it wasn't fair. She helped her when she had one of her nightmares. Strangely enough, though, since her phone all with Santana when she had the nightmare, she's been able to sleep peacefully. It couldn't be connected, could it? No, it can't be. Why would Santana be the reason for her sleeping peacefully?

She was sat at the table eating her breakfast when she heard her phone go off again. She saw the message was from Santana, yet again. She sighed pushing her phone away continuing to eat her breakfast in silence. Her grandpa was washing the dishes when he came and sat down next to her looking at her concerned. Crap.

"Is everything okay?" Her grandpa asked. "You've not picked up your phone all weekend."

"I don't need to. I don't want that many friends since I want to focus on my studies."

"Every teenage girl needs friends, Brittany. Why don't you tell me the real reason?" He asked.

Brittany looked at her grandfather. She hadn't been very honest with him lately, for good reason, and she didn't want to keep everything from him. She loves him, a lot. Sighing she puts her spoon down.

"I had a nightmare the other night so to feel better I text this girl, Santana, explaining what was wrong." Brittany began feeling her heart race from nerves. "We texted and she eventually rang me. She just listened and I asked her to stay on the line until I fell asleep and she did. I even got a message in the morning with her saying she hopes I feel better."

Her grandpa nodded his head. "So what's the problem?"

"I opened myself up to her making me vulnerable! I don't want to make myself vulnerable to someone because they can use it against me."

John sighed and shook his head. Why would she feel like this? She used to be so happy but now…she's so broken. She's terrified of vulnerability.

"Honey, it's okay to allow yourself to be vulnerable. If she's a good person, which I assume she is since you seem to like her, then allow yourself to open up. It's okay."

Brittany shook her head. "No, because if I do, I'll never keep my walls up."

Smiling John stood up kissing her head. "Then give Santana the hammer to knock down the walls you've built."

She watched her grandpa walk away and sighed looking at her phone. He had a point but she wouldn't admit that. Brittany looked at her phone one last time before shaking her head and standing up. She could continue this debate later but how she had school so she picked up her bag, phone and iPod before calling out to her grandpa that she was leaving before walking out the house.

Once she arrived at school she was happy to see that Santana wasn't anywhere to be seen. She walked up to her locker to get her things together before the first lesson and, hopefully, be able to get to lesson without anyone, especially Santana, seeing her. She couldn't be doing with all of that today. She had thought about what her grandfather had told her but it didn't change her opinion. At the time she was grateful and still is to some respect, but after thinking about it, it had made her vulnerable and with the experience with life that she had had, she didn't need someone having the ability to get to her, no matter how pretty that said person was.

Making her way to her next lesson Brittany sat down in a seat which was available. She didn't particularly fancy like sitting next to anyone so she got a seat at the far back of the room like she did when she walked into her first classroom in the school. She preferred since it gave her space from everyone else so she could just study instead of worrying about other people talking to her. She didn't need that so she got on with getting her things out of her bag putting them on the desk. She heard everyone else talking amongst themselves and she somehow found comfort in the fact that she was surrounded by so many other people. It made her feel safe even if she didn't want to talk to anyone. When other people are around it meant you were less exposed and Brittany liked that. She needed that in her life at the moment even if they weren't particularly her friends. She doesn't recall knowing anyone in the room as a matter of fact. And an added bonus was that she didn't have to encounter Santana.

She did feel a little stupid acting the way she was but it was her way of dealing with things. She decided it was better this way before she did the move. She knew that being isolated was best since it meant not many people bothered you so you could just get on with your life. She remembered back at her old school in Phoenix that there was this girl in all her classes. She had dark hair, pale skin and was an average height for their age but she kept to herself. She didn't really work with anyone and when she was a cheerleader she never understood why someone would want that. She had loved the attention from other people and her friends but now...she understood completely. She wished she had made an effort to talk to the girl to find out her story but, of course, it was too late. She wasn't in Phoenix anymore and she wasn't popular but that was her own choice. She also found it was a lot less stress leaving the house since she didn't need to look perfect. Perfect was overrated anyway.

'Unless your name is Santana Lopez.' Brittany thought to herself before shaking her head. 'Damn inner thoughts.'

The lesson itself wasn't too bad once the teacher walked in. Unfortunately for her, it was that teacher from the car park so, of course, he would decide to keep her behind afterwards. She sighed when he called her name once she got to the door. She turned around making her way back into the room walking to his desk watching him clean the board whilst the other students leave the classroom. She gripped the handle on her bag before realizing he was probably going to be a while, so she decided to take a seat on top of one of the desks putting her bag on the floor waiting for him to finish.

She watched the teacher turn towards her giving her a small smile before walking towards the door pushing the door to walk back to his desk sitting in the chair. Brittany could hear the chattering of all the students whilst they walked to their lessons and she was stuck in here with a teacher. Well, there were worst places she could be at the end of the day.

"Brittany it's so nice to see you in one of my classes since the last time we spoke you were sitting in a tree." The teacher said with a smile. "How are you settling in?"

"Good, I think. I mean, it's not all that bad." Brittany responded with a shrug of her shoulders. "It could be worse, right?"

The man chuckled nodding his head. "This is true. Your parents thought it was a good idea to come here after all."

Um, actually, I live with my grandpa and he trusts my judgment completely, so he was happy to come along and vouch for me to study here." She explained with a small smile. "I do know my parents before you ask. I just...needed a break that's all and my grandpa was happy to take me in."

"You don't need to explain yourself to me. I'm happy that you are here and I wanted to check that you were okay. If you need anything, you let me know."

Brittany nodded her head "Thank you, sir."

"Call me Mr Schue. All the students call me that." The man said before getting up and walking to the door opening it. "Thank you for stopping and talking to me."

"Thank you for checking up on me," Brittany whispers before walking out and walking down the corridor towards the library.

Brittany wasn't sure exactly why the library came to mind when she walked away, but she didn't feel like thinking of another place to go so she went by that. It was a place where she knew not many people, meaning popular people, won't hang out which made it the perfect place for her. Upon entering she walked to a free table sitting down whilst putting her backpack on the surface looking through it for her book before taking it out along with her pencil case. She didn't have much to do but she may as well start on some school work now since she had nowhere else to be. According to her timetable, she had a free period so what better thing to do than school work? Well, actually, she could think of many things that were better than school work, but she had nowhere to go so school work it was.

People at her last school didn't realize this, but she was actually a very smart person. She was one of the reasons the Cheerleading squad did so well with their grades. She was the one tutoring and helping most of them to get their work done. She didn't mind back then, but now looking back she knew they were just using her for their own benefit. Most of the Cheerleaders that were on the team, and probably still are, were just stupid and yes that was a horrible thing to say since she wasn't perfect but it was true. Most didn't even know simple Math and as a captain that does look bad coming from the team, you are captain of. Now she couldn't care less, though. Yes, she struggles sometimes, but she's told herself that she doesn't need the help. She can handle what she struggles with alone.

She had started to look at the homework Mr Schue had given and didn't have a problem understanding before she got down to starting it. She had always loved English because it allowed her to be creative and allowed her to write whatever she wanted too. From her perspective in English, there were no wrong answers like in Math. There were opinions from different perspectives but not wrong answers. It was what she loved about it. It did look like work that had been set though so maybe he was covering. Who knows? She hadn't been there that long anyway. The homework was all about analyzing a piece of literature and going into depth about what it actually means. She loved the subject and always had since she was young so she got right into doing her work taking the piece of paper with the page of literature that went with it starting to analyze it. She always loved doing this because it gave her the chance to put her opinions into it and what she thought the meaning was between the lines. She wasn't sure how the teacher parked but if it was anything like her last teacher she should have a good chance at high marks.

She had been sat doing her homework for the past hour that she jumped in surprise when the bell signaling break time went off. She looked around noticing everyone else leaving but why should she get up and leave? She had nowhere to be or anyone to meet so she might as well enjoy the silence for a while longer and get her homework done. Damn, she really did sound like a nerd, but she didn't care. She loved the subject and she wasn't going to deny it to anyone. She picked up the piece of paper looking over it to make sure she had written down all the notes she could before she picked up her pen and began writing the actual homework down. She had to go through this thoroughly to be able to get a good mark on the subject. She was determined to make that happen. When you're good at something you may as well embrace that, right?

"Brittany?"

She heard that voice and even though it made her melt inside, she did not want it to. Santana. She didn't want Santana to affect her like she did even though she had been the one who text her in the middle of the night. She just instantly thought of the Latina when she had the nightmare which was the reason behind the text she sent. Looking back, she was glad she text the girl but it just made her feel vulnerable and that scared her. She couldn't have hidden forever and she knew that deep down. She looked up to see Santana standing there in her Cheerios uniform looking down on her with a concerned look on her face.

"What are you doing here?" Brittany mumbled looking back down at her work fiddling with her pen. "I didn't think cheerleaders came to the library."

"They don't usually but I've been looking for you and I figured you'd want to be alone so I thought of here," Santana answered shuffling her feet on the ground. "I can go if you'd rather be alone."

Deep down there was a voice screaming telling her to tell her to go so she could be alone and be in her own thoughts but her heart was telling her to allow the girl to sit down and join her which made her thoughts completely conflicted. Why did she feel like this? Why did this girl want to be around her? And on another note, why did she want her to be around? She sighed looking up at the girl before kicking the chair back to offer the seat to her hearing the Latina sit down in the chair beside her. She knew she couldn't have told her to go away even if she tried so this was the only option apparently.

"What are you doing?" Santana asked after a few minutes of silence between them. "Homework?"

"English. Mr Schue was the teacher but he doesn't look like an English teacher so maybe he's the substitute or something." She said looking at Santana with a small smile. "I love English. I love being able to be creative and not having to worry about the teacher telling me I'm wrong. I just...I love it. It's my favorite subject for definite."

"I love English too but we must be in different classes. What room are you in for it?" Santana asked curiously.

Looking at her timetable, Brittany spots what she was looking for. "I was in room E11."

Santana gave her an impressed look. "You're in the top English class. You must be good. Your usual teacher is Mrs Carter but she's off sick today. You'll love her, though. I've had her as a substitute before and I loved her."

Smiling Brittany nodded her head looking at her work. She wasn't sure how to feel right now because Santana was just trying to be her friend, which she had allowed at that, but something just...something felt different. She knew it was because she felt her heart beating faster and her hands were sweaty but she didn't want to admit that. Looking up at the Latina all she could notice was how beautiful she looked. She imagined how it would look down with her regular clothes on and it made her heart beat even faster. She couldn't hear herself think and it was annoying her because she needed to concentrate on her work. In some respect, though, she didn't want to. She wanted to just spend time with Santana but that meant she would get closer to her and that was not something she wanted. She needed some distance between them.

"I'm sure I will like her," Brittany said with a nod of her head trying not to stare too much. "Haven't you got to be at cheer practice or something?"

She watches Santana look at the time before standing up abruptly. "Crap, I do have to go. I'll see you soon, okay?"

Brittany nodded smiling watching her leave before letting out a sigh of relief. She honestly thought she'd have to deal with her heart beating a mile a minute for all of the break but luckily it was cut short. At least it was only Santana trying to get to know her. Well, there was Kurt but he hadn't come up to her or anything. He only gave her the occasional smile when they saw each other and that was enough. Ugh, why did women have to be so complicated? It made it so much harder to be around them! Brittany sighed and got back to her work. She was determined to get at least a paragraph done before the bell went off again. With that thought in mind, she got straight back to work focusing on nothing but the work in front of her.

Xxxxxxxxxx

The park was probably one of the places in Lima that didn't suck all that bad. She looked around and noticed how everything just looked perfect. The grass was cut, flowers were planted and the trees looked like something she had only seen in pictures with their perfection. The sun was also beaming down on her face which was nice saying that it was April. She had decided to come here after school to clear her head from everything but, frankly, it wasn't helping. Santana kept popping into her head making her realize that she definitely had a crush. She wouldn't leave her mind and when they were close, her heart beat like crazy along with the fact that her hands always began sweating like they usually did when she was shy or nervous. It was better than blushing or going red so she was doing well so far when she was around.

She didn't understand why Santana was as captivating as she was, but Brittany suspected it was because she was the type of girl she usually goes for. It was nothing unusual but, then again, it wasn't normal either. She hadn't felt like this since her ex-girlfriend, which was definitely not a good thing since she's pretty sure she still has some feelings for Isla. They ended because she was moving here so if she moved back they could easily get back together and be happy. But moving back was not an option right now. She just...she felt safe where she was and she liked that feeling. Back home it was difficult to feel safe. She only felt safe at school and sometimes she still felt unsafe then because Jason was able to just go in and take her out, which he had done before. He had once lied to the school telling them she had a doctor's appointment when she didn't and she even tried arguing saying she didn't, but they obviously believed him over her. He was the adult and she was the child in their eyes, so she just looked like a girl who didn't like the doctors and that was exactly what Jason acted on. Her fear.

When she found out about her mother she was distraught. She had no idea how to feel when the police came round telling them that she had been in a car accident and was now in a coma. Jason had put her arm around her to comfort her but she hated it. She had nowhere else to live that was close which meant she had to live with Jason. She just felt scared from that point onwards. Every look he gave Brittany made her shiver. She wanted to leave so many times but what stopped her was the fact that she wanted her mom to wake up and tell her everything was going to be fine. Maybe she would tell her what happened but nothing ever happened. Her mother stayed in the coma and she continued to live with Jason with every day going by so slow it was unbelievable. She wanted to tell her mom everything that was going on but she couldn't. Would she even hear? What if she died and that was the last thing she heard her say? No. She went to visit every day pretending that things were fine, even though everything she said was a huge lie.

She sighed moving her hands over her face not wanting to think of her life back in Phoenix, but it made her who she is It broke her; ruined her. She wasn't the happy girl she used to be. No. She was drawn back, cautious and hated people getting too close to her. She missed all of her friends but she knew if they saw her they'd take one look and walk away. Not Isla though. It's one of the reasons they fell in love so easily, Isla was different to everyone else. Caring, passionate and let's not forget independent. She didn't need Brittany to be her girlfriend, she wanted Brittany to be her girlfriend because she liked her. It was how they got along so well and it shocked everyone how well they did get along. It never bothered them though because they were in their own little world of happiness and love with a wall around them no one could break. Well...until she had to go.

\- October 2013 -

 _Brittany was sat in her room with her girlfriend cuddled into her whilst they watched Finding Nemo on TV. It was Isla's favorite animated movie so she knew they'd end up watching it when she flicked through the channels and it came on. She didn't mind though since she had a lot on her mind at the moment and it stopped her girlfriend asking her questions about what was wrong. They had both started their Junior year in high school and were looking forward to spending the time together but Brittany knew that wouldn't be happening. She couldn't live at the house anymore. She just couldn't. She knew her girlfriend would be fine with her staying at hers but Jason would find her and bring her back to living hell and she couldn't take that. She just couldn't. There was a problem, though. She hadn't exactly told her that she was planning on leaving. She knew it was going to break her heart_

 _She just knew that she needed to protect her. It was all to protect Isla as well as protecting herself and her friends. Jason was not a man to be trusted but she knew telling her friends and Isla, where she was going, wasn't an option either. They would be the first people he contacted for information s she had to do this. She just had to. She couldn't take the pain anymore and every person deserves to be happy no matter what that idiot of a man says. She needs happiness in her life again and the only way that will happen is to run for it and go live elsewhere and study elsewhere. It would be hard to get away but she had to, For her own safety._

 _"Babe?" Isla mumbled quietly._

 _"Mm?"_

 _"I love you." She smiled placing a kiss on her shoulder with a smile making Brittany smile._

 _"I love you too, baby," Brittany responded kissing her girlfriend's head moving her hand over her back. "Never forget that, alright?"_

 _Isla looked up with a questioning look. "Will you not be around to tell me or something?"_

 _She could have told her right then. She could have told her that she was leaving and wouldn't be back until Jason was locked up but she didn't Instead she gave Isla a loving smile, a kiss on the lips and held her close to show how much she loved the girl. Basically, she lied right to her face without her knowing giving her false hope. Yeah...she was a bitch._

 _"I'll be here forever. I'm always going to be around to tell you I love you every single day, okay? I'll even phone you up every night to tell you in case you forget. How does that sound?"_

 _Isla giggled kissing her softly and nodded her head looking into her own blue eyes whilst she looked right back into her chocolate brown eyes, which she had grown to love over the past two years since they met._

 _"That sounds perfect. I love you, Brittany Pierce." Isla says honestly with love in her eyes resting her hand over her heart. "So much. I can't imagine not having you here with me."_

 _"I love you too, Isla Jones. I promise you'll never have to live without me because here is where I'll always be." Brittany replied with a smile._

\- 2014 -

She missed moments like that with Isla and she would never be able to get them back. They were gone to nothing but memories. She didn't expect Isla to ever forgive her after what she did. She deserved better anyway and now that they were apart she could find someone to love that deserved her, unlike her. Shaking her head, Brittany stood up stretching her legs and arms looking over the pond once more before picking up her bag making her way back to her grandpa's.

She was walking back when she felt her phone vibrate. She was surprised since she hadn't text anyone recently and Santana was at cheer practice. She opened the message up and saw Jason had texted her. Fear filled her body instantly and all she could think about was getting home to her grandpa's. Should she report it? No, he would know. She decided to ignore it. Maybe it would just go away and he would leave her alone. She knew that wasn't going to happen so she made a run for her grandpa's house getting inside to her room. Arriving, she closed the curtains making sure the windows were locked before locking the bedroom door. She moved back to the bed leaning against the headboard with her knees against her chest wrapping her arms around them trying to protect herself as much as possible. Looking at the phone on the side, she saw the message flashing. Her heart beat fast in fear so she buried her face in her knees letting tears fall slowly from her eyes.

 **From Jason: I will find you, Brittany. You can try and hide but I will find you.**


	7. Seven

**Warning: Brief mention of sexual abuse**

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The past two weeks Brittany refused to leave her room, aside from school. She kept her windows locked at all times with the curtains closed and only unlocked her door when her grandpa wanted her to eat. Some might say she was overreacting but she thought her reaction was completely rational. She didn't want to be vulnerable, but she was terrified. Terrified of getting found by Jason and being forced to return to Phoenix with him and encounter his abuse once again. Not only that, but she had a phone call from the hospital the other day telling her that if her mother didn't wake up within the next two months, they would suggest she taking her off life support. She had enough stress with Jason, and now this? She hadn't slept well the past two weeks either, which probably explained the reason behind the headaches she had been having recently. She just couldn't sleep. How could she when Jason was out looking for her and her mother could very well die in two months time? She had thought a lot about talking to her grandfather, but what would she say to him? There was so much to say about what happened, but to say it out loud was just…it was painful. Going through it is one thing but to then tell someone else was another. She didn't feel strong enough to do that.

Santana was being patient with her. She knew that. She had tried the avoiding tactic, but Santana was too smart to let that happen. She was so insistent on them being friends that when she tried pulling away, Santana moved closer. Secretly, she was grateful. The only person in her life to date that had done that was Isla. All her other friends just left her to it when she was going through stuff back in Phoenix. It felt nice to be cared for by someone who wasn't family. She didn't care if Jason was classed as family since he married her mother. He will never be part of the family. Ever. She didn't care what anyone said either. She hates what he put her through and he deserves to be thrown into prison for what he did. She would happily make sure he got there too even if it did mean testifying and telling everyone what he did to her. Brittany hated the man, which was rare for her because she hardly hated anyone, only majorly disliked at most. She did hate him, though. She had good reasons to as well.

She knew her grandfather was worried about her and she understood why. She was being distant and she had changed a lot over the past couple of years. She used to open up but now she knew it was safer not to. She didn't have the heart or courage to tell someone what she went through. And now with her mother too, she knew she would break his heart. She couldn't do that. He already lost his wife and she was supposed to tell him he could lose his daughter too? What cruel world was this? Shaking her head Brittany prayed her mother would be okay. She was not going to let Jason win no matter what. He didn't deserve to win.

"Brittany? Brittany!"

She looked up and took her headphones off hanging them around her neck. She saw her Grandpa stood there with a tea towel in hand looking at her. Crap. She needed to pay more attention.

"Sorry Grandpa, I was doing homework. What's up?" She asked pausing the music she had playing.

"No no, don't apologize for doing schoolwork, kleindochter. I was just wondering if you would pick up some chicken for dinner from the shop around the corner."

Brittany was sure her heart stopped beating right then. Outside? Where someone could easily see her? What if he had someone watching her or something?!

"As in…outside?" Brittany mumbles looking at her pen.

Chuckling John nodded his head. "The shop isn't in here, Brittany. If that was the case, I wouldn't need you to go. There's some money on the side for you to use. I would go myself but I don't want to leave the dinner and have it burn or something."

"Well, how about you go and I look after dinner?" Brittany asked jumping at the chance to stay in the safety of the house walls. "I can do that."

John gives her a concerned look. "Brittany, are you okay?"

"Course I am! I just…hurt my knee dancing at school, so it hurts to walk." Brittany lies feeling guilty but knows she has to. "I'm sorry, I should have told you."

John felt relieved. He thought something was actually going wrong with his granddaughter for a minute. But then again, Brittany had been dancing for years. It was very rare for her to get an injury. Was she lying to get out of going to the shop? Shaking his head he decided to give her the satisfaction of thinking he believed her and smiles kissing her head.

"Okay honey, but next time tell me so I know."

Brittany nodded and went back to doing her homework hearing the door open and close knowing her grandpa had left. She sighed in relief glad that he bought the lie she told. She couldn't believe she had resorted to lying just for her grandpa to not be suspicious of her actions. She had already left once today for school and she was not about to risk someone seeing her. She couldn't believe she was freaking out over some silly text, but in her defense, Jason was capable of a lot of things, so she couldn't risk it. She'd stay home from school if she could, but her grandpa would just get suspicious. She looked down when she saw her phone flash Santana's name. Her heart fluttered in happiness. She smiled opening the message.

 **From Santana: Hey, Britt. There's a small party at mine tonight and I'd love for you to meet some of my friends or at least the people I tolerate on a daily basis. You down? X**

Sighing, Brittany knew instantly she couldn't go. In a way, she didn't want to since it meant getting to know more people but on the other hand, Santana would be there which made Brittany want to go so she could see her. She was about to write out another response her phone went off again with another message from Santana.

 **From Santana: Before you say no, which yes I knew you were going to say, I can pick you up before everyone else turns up. At least consider it? X**

Santana had a point and she was quite convincing, to say the least. She felt as though she couldn't say no now. Tapping her pen on her book Brittany considered it. It wouldn't be all that bad and her grandpa would be happy with her out of the house surrounded by other people. By what if someone saw her? There was that risk too. However, she had made a promise to herself that she was going to lay low and just do her school work. She couldn't just ignore that and go to some party because some hot girl asked her to. Well, she could but she knew it was dangerous and risky. Still, she was curious to know more information.

 **To Santana: When would the party be? X**

She thought she was being a bit stupid even considering it but she could even just turn up then go home after an hour. It didn't mean she had to stay. Brittany got up and checked on dinner quickly before hearing her phone go off once again.

 **From Santana: 7pm. I know you don't go out much but I feel like you've been staying at home even more. I don't mean to overstep but it would be good for you. Plus it's not as though you have anything else on, right? X**

She did have a point. What would she be doing if she didn't go? Stay at home watching TV? She used to love going out and even though she was supposed to be laying low, what would a party do? It was probably a lot smaller than the ones she's been to in the past but that didn't make any of this less risky. She had to think of herself. She knew being this cautious wasn't exactly good for her stress levels, but she was already terrified to go to school. She didn't need to make herself even more scared than needed, right? She hated the fact that she would be disappointing Santana but she had to. For herself.

 **To Santana: If anyone else said that, I'd be kicking their ass. I'm sorry, I can't. Thanks for asking though x**

Brittany went back to her homework doing as much as she could but was disappointed when she realized Santana didn't respond to her last message. She sighed in disappointment knowing she had let her down but she had to. Sometimes disappointing someone is the best way to stop hurting them in the long run. She had learnt that. Well, maybe it was true. She wasn't to be sure but she assumed that was true. For example, if she had kept up the relationship with Isla and continued long distance they would have broken up apart from each other and it would have made things worse. Well...the break up didn't exactly go great, but Isla seemed to understand. Kind of anyway.

By the time she had finished her work her grandpa had finished up with dinner so she put her work away before helping him set the table. It wasn't as though she had a lot to do or anything since there was only the both of them there but since he had taken her in, she liked to help out when she could. Her Grandpa didn't like her helping that much so it was difficult to try and do things to help him. Her Grandpa brought over the dinner and put them on each placemat before sitting down with Brittany and starting their dinner. They both sat quietly since Brittany didn't really have anything to say since she had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts lately. She wanted so much to let it all out and explain to her Grandpa what had been going on but...she couldn't. She just couldn't tell him what was going on because she didn't have enough nerve to come out with everything without knowing it would hurt him. She wanted to tell him Jason had abused her sexually for the past 3 and a half years and how she thought that was why her mother suddenly got into an accident. He wanted her to himself without the risk of her mother walking in. She wanted to tell him how violated she had felt and how her mother never knew what he had been doing to her ever since he moved in after six months of being together. She wanted to tell him everything so bad but...she couldn't. Her voice was caught in her throat most of the time and she remembered what Jason had told her if she told anyone about what he was doing.

 _"I'll make sure you never see your mother again if you tell anyone what we're doing."_

She hated everything about that house and what was in it. He had made it his own and it was no longer the family home it once was. She hated the house and what had happened inside it. Her room was the worst place out of all of the rooms because that's where he always did it. He always came in after her mother had gone to bed, did what he wanted then left again. It started off as once a week since he knew it was risky but then he grew more confidence and started doing it two nights a week then three and before she knew it she was being put through it every night before he went to sleep. It got even worse when her mother was no longer around. She hated him for what he put her through and what he had taken from her. It was more than just her virginity he took from her; he took her teenage years and turned them into memories of horror. She can't even remember a time where she was happy because he had destroyed that. He took everything from her and now? Now she just felt that she couldn't be happy. That it felt wrong to be happy because of what had happened. Why should she be happy? She had no reason to be anymore.

"Brittany, can we talk?" John asked his granddaughter watching her move her food around her plate miserably. It was heartbreaking not seeing her smile the way she used to.

"Sure. What do you want to talk about?" Brittany asked looking up.

"Honey, what is going on? I know you don't want to talk to me, but I'm getting worried. You only leave your house for school and you don't smile that much anymore. I'm getting rather concerned." John explained putting his knife and fork down putting his hand on Brittany's arm. "I really do care about you and I can't help if you don't talk to me."

"Not everything has an explanation, Grandpa. Not everything you can sort out because not everything can be fixed. This is who I am now."Brittany stated looking at her grandfather. "I'm sorry if that isn't the answer you were looking for, but it's the best I have."

Brittany finished her dinner before standing up and putting her dishes in the dishwasher signaling the end of the conversation. She was not going to be forced to reveal what she was feeling whether he was her Grandpa or not. She looked at him once before making her way up the stairs to the safety of her bedroom. She closed the door and went underneath her bed taking out a box. She took a deep breath before opening it to see her diary in there. She had written in it every day since the abuse had started so maybe it was time to start fresh. She had gotten away from him so maybe starting a new diary wouldn't be so bad. She hadn't written anything since she got here after all Brittany picked up her old diary and got a new one out that was underneath it before putting the lid back on the box and pushing it back under the bed.

She looked at the front cover and let herself smile a little before standing up and sitting at her desk opening the first page. It was clean with no writing already in it; a fresh start. She took her pen and began writing.

March 31st, 2014

 _Living in Lima isn't actually all that bad. I mean yeah it's not anything like Phoenix but it is a good town. It's quiet which is what I love about it. There isn't a lot of traffic so you could easily walk into the middle of the road and not get run over, unlike Phoenix where you would get flattened. The thing is, even though I'm away from Phoenix, I still have fear hanging over me. I can't talk to anyone about anything so I feel more alone than ever and I know it's a good thing to be alone but it's just so lonely. However, even though I am living in a small town there is someone I have my eye on. Santana. She is just so beautiful and no matter how hard I try I can't keep away. I don't want to either because I want her to help me because for once someone cares about me and I don't want that to go away. I think she could fix me if I let myself get close enough but I can't do that. I can't risk her finding out about my time in Phoenix. I just...I can't. She won't see me the same and that is something I don't want to happen._

Brittany closed the journal and put the pen down putting it in the drawer of the desk locking it. She didn't want anyone walking into her room and being able to read something that's personal to her. Looking at the time Brittany saw it was 6 pm which meant she could put the last finishing touches to her work to make sure it was good to hand in. Brittany picked up the pen and started to get on with her school work. Seriously, when had her life become all about her school work and nothing else?

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Santana wasn't usually one for caring if someone wanted to be around her or not but something about Brittany made her care. She wanted to help her and make her see that high school isn't all that bad; that she didn't need to stay hidden in school and could have friends. To Santana, it seemed as though Brittany was trying to keep as many people away from her as she could. She was never seen with anyone and even though the both of them were friends it wasn't as though she opened up to her. Heck, Brittany has made it pretty clear that she was not opening up to anyone. She wanted to help the blonde but that meant overstepping Brittany's boundaries and was she ready to do that? Was she ready to deal with the consequences? She wasn't too sure herself.

It was now 8 pm and she was stood with a drink in her hand as the party went underway, She was pretty disappointed that Brittany didn't want to turn up but she understood in some respect. With someone as drawn back as she was it was pretty impossible to get them to do anything that was to do with a gathering. Brittany was the same. She wasn't one to go out and do something with other people from what she had seen so far from her. She just wanted to be alone and study or whatever she did when she was at home. She wouldn't know since she had never been to her house or even seen it. Well...that was Santana's guess anyway. She wouldn't go around assuming since her thoughts may be wrong.

"Are you going to at least pretend to enjoy yourself?" Quinn asked moving to stand beside her. "Because right now it looks as though you'd rather be anywhere else but here."

"I'm fine, Fabray," Santana responded taking a sip of her drink. "I'm just observing."

Quinn looked at her best friend. She had been very different since the new blonde girl had arrived at the school. She'd noticed how Santana wanted to hang around with her and was determined to befriend her and just by where she was stood now it was obvious that it wasn't going very well. She looked miserable and this was her own party. Quinn sighed before standing in front of her.

"Call her."

"What the hell you on about now, preggers?" Santana snapped.

Sighing in frustration she took Santana's phone bringing up Brittany's number before handing it back to her. "Call her. You are standing here miserable and I can only take so much of that before it starts depressing me, so call her!"

"I text her earlier and she said she doesn't want to come and that's that. I gave her the option and she said no, so I can't so much else."

"Then convince her. You want to know her, correct?" Quinn questioned raising her eyebrow, continuing when she saw a nod from Santana. "Then convince her to come. You can't just stop because she said no, Santana. No one gets anywhere by hoping for things. You only get things done by sorting things out yourself so go sort it."

Sighing, Santana shook her head in response. There was no point in trying when her friendship with Brittany was rather...different. She didn't want to push her but at the same time, she wanted to care. She wanted to try without overstepping which was exactly what Quinn was trying to make her do. She looked at the phone for a few seconds before taking it from the blonde girl looking at Brittany's number. There were definitely pro's and con's she should be thinking over right now but...oh what the heck? She wanted to hear the blonde's voice so she pressed the call button hearing the phone ring. Who knew if she would even answ-

" _Hello?_ "

"Brittany!" Santana cheered a little before clearing her throat blushing. Her stomach had started to flutter at her voice making her whole body feel warm. What was this girl doing to her?

" _Hey, Santana. Sorry I couldn't come out. I just have personal stuff going on_."

"Oh no, it's okay. I'm not calling to yell at you or anything I just wanted to chat." She explained but was feeling better about the reason behind her not turning up. At least she wasn't just ditching her.

" _Well, what did you want to talk about?_ "

"Didyouwannagosomewherewithme?" Santana asked as quick as she could. She was nervous and yes she had a party that she was hosting, but Quinn could look after her house for around an hour without allowing anyone to destroy it. She heard Brittany laugh on the other end of the phone which made her smile.

" _What did you just say? I didn't catch a word of that_." Brittany said still laughing. Santana was glad that she could make the blonde laugh since she didn't see or hear her all that much.

"Sorry, I was nervous," Santana responded with a blush in her cheeks before taking a breath. "I was wondering if you wanted to go somewhere with me. Just for an hour or so then I'll drive you back home again. I just...I want to see you."

Santana waited nervously for a response. She knew Brittany wasn't going to say yes straight away due to the fact that she said no earlier on already. She just wanted the chance to show Brittany she is a good person and show her some parts of the town that she probably hasn't seen since she arrived. She wanted to show her that she could be trusted and she didn't have to be afraid of showing her face. Everyone had the past, Santana was quite aware of that, but that didn't mean they had to keep it to themselves forever. She was about to speak up when they hadn't said anything for a while when Brittany beat her to it.

" _I want to see you too,_ " Brittany spoke softly in response which made Santana's heart beat a little faster. " _Where would we go?_ "

"I know a place. Did you want to join me?" Santana asked feeling hopeful this time around. "I won't kill you, I promise." She added as a joke chuckling and was thrilled to hear Brittany's laugh again.

" _Okay, okay I'm in. Pick me up in ten?_ "

"I'll be there. Text me your address."

Hanging up the phone Santana let a grin form on her face before doing her little happy dance. She was going to see Brittany again and if she was being honest, she had never been so excited to see someone before. Brittany was just different but she liked that. She liked that she wasn't like everyone else and that she had a story. She hoped one day the blonde would tell her but until then she would happily just be friends. Yes...friends.

"She said yes?" Quinn asked smirking at Santana's reaction. "Either that or you really need to pee."

Santana grinned and nodded her head pocketing her phone grabbing her car keys from the side. "She said yes! I'm picking her up so can you handle this party until I get back? Not that they are doing anything exciting mind you but still."

Quinn chuckled and nodded her head. "I can handle things here. But can you answer one thing before you go?

"Sure. What is it?" Santana asked turning to face her best friend.

"You like this girl, don't you?" Quinn questioned noticing the way her friend was acting. "You're acting all happy and jumpy. You can trust me, you know that."

Santana paused before answering and nodded her head. "Yes, I think I do like her. I get butterflies around her and when I think about her I can't help but smile. I just want to help her Quinn and whenever I'm around her I just...I feel...well, I'm still trying to figure out how I feel, but it's a good feeling."

Smiling, the blonde walked up to Santana and hugged her. She was happy that Santana was finally starting to accept who she was even if that meant hiding. Lima wasn't exactly the best place to be different, but sometimes being different is a good thing because it's better to be unique than be the same like everyone else. She pulled away kissing her cheek before smirking pushing on her shoulder.

"Get out of here and see her. You're making me sick with all your lovey dovey feelings for her."

Laughing, Santana nodded and walked out of the house. She felt her phone vibrate and saw Brittany had texted her the address of where she was supposed to pick her up so she got into the car and made her way over there. She wasn't going to lie, it did surprise her when she parked outside a bungalow. She was expecting a house or something but apparently, her parents lived in a bungalow instead. It wasn't wrong of course, she just wasn't expecting it. She shook her head from her thoughts and beeped the horn letting Brittany know she had arrived before switching the engine off waiting for her.

She looked around and noticed it was an area which was close to school. She passed it every day in fact and had never thought that Brittany would live here. She wasn't judging or anything; she was sure she had a reason behind it but she wasn't going to pry. It wasn't her business to after all. Santana jumped in surprise when she heard the car door open and close. She turned to see the blonde sat there looking as breathtaking as ever. But seriously when does she not? Stop it! She isn't your girlfriend so stop perving.

"So where are we going?" Brittany asked with an excited look on her face. It was the first time she had seen her genuinely excited for something and Santana knew she would make sure it wasn't the last time she would see that look.

"Patience is a virtue, you know," Santana stated with a wink noticing the blush show up on Brittany's face secretly enjoying the fact that she made a girl blush. It must mean something, right? "But seriously, you'll like it. I promise."

She saw Brittany nod before turning the car back on and driving away from the house. She loved driving and she was even one of the first people to get her license. She wanted to drive as soon as she could so she did and here she is. Her parents don't let her drive to school just because they don't want her wasting the journey which is fair enough. She was so happy when she passed and her father got her the car she wanted. She couldn't have been happier since she got to finally go places on her own without needing permission from her parents or having to pay for a bus. It was amazing and now she got to take Brittany to her favorite place. She had been thinking of it when she had texted her earlier on and now she was finally with her. She would have to thank Quinn later on.

"Did you want to put the radio on?" Santana asked after a few minutes of driving silently. "Or I have a few CD's you can pick from."

"No, no, it's okay. I like driving. It's rather soothing. I had a car back when I lived in Phoenix but when we came here, I left it with a friend." Brittany explained smiling. "I have a BMW Convertible and I love it. I saved up for ages to get it but now I think about it, I only had it about six months before I moved here and since I didn't want to bring it here or scrap it, I left it with my best friend. Well, now I think back she wasn't even that much of a friend. Just someone who liked the fact that I was popular."

Santana was surprised at how open Brittany was being. She wasn't exacting it at all after what she had told her before but at the same time, she hadn't exactly asked about anything. Brittany had willingly opened up about a time she had in Phoenix and yes even though it was a minor detail, it was still something. Either Brittany wasn't realizing what she was doing or she was comfortable enough around her. Whichever way works.

"Having people pretend to be friends with you for popularity sucks. I've had a ton of people try and I've basically told them where to go." Santana explained with a shrug of her shoulders.

Brittany looked at the Latina and nodded her head. "Yeah...it really does suck."

Santana parked her car once she reached the place where she wanted to go and got out along with Brittany. They were on top of a cliff overlooking Lima and since the sun had gone down all that was seen were the streetlights. She locked the car and walked towards a certain spot which was hidden behind a couple of trees which she led Brittany to. She came here a lot when she wanted to think. It was a small grassy area on a hill and it overlooked the town perfectly. It was quiet and to top it all off they had a great view. She stopped alongside Brittany.

"Beautiful, right?"

Brittany nodded her head looking at the view of Lima. This was something you never got in Phoenix and she wished there had been when she lived there. It would have been a perfect getaway from Jason.

"When did you find this?" Brittany asked folding her arms looking at the view. "I mean...we're not exactly in the middle of town."

Santana remembers it as though it were yesterday. She had an argument with her parents and it got so bad she left the house and just ran. She ran as far as she could until she had to stop to catch her breath. When she stopped she had ended up here and spent a good few hours before she went home. It was now the one place she went when she was upset or needed to be alone. Quinn didn't even know about the place so to show someone else was a big deal for her.

"I found it after an argument at home. I've never shown anyone before, not even Quinn."

Brittany turned her body to face Santana. "Then why are you sharing it with me? This place is clearly important to you."

"Because you look like you need a place to get away."

Brittany nodded her head in agreement before wrapping her arms around Santana's waist leaning her head on her shoulder looking at Lima. She felt Santana wrap an arm around her resting it on her back and she felt safe. The both of them stood there for a while not moving or talking. A conversation wasn't needed, all that was needed was each other's company and, for now, that was enough.


	8. Eight

**Warning: Brief mention of sexual abuse**

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Now that Quinn knew about her sexuality it was making Santana nervous when she was in school. Everywhere she went people were around and sometimes she was double taking to check that they weren't looking at her as though she was an animal in a zoo that looked weird. Being a lesbian in Lima was not a good thing in any sense of the matter. Most people that lived in the area were close minded and didn't like anything being different because that was the way they had grown up. As a matter of fact a lot of people had families in Lima who had been brought up a certain way, so being gay was just out of the question. She knew this because she remembers talking to her papi about something and he had told her how the area was so connected that the houses that people lived in were family houses. New people didn't tend to move to Lima, Ohio because it was that kind of place which was why it was such a surprise when Brittany came out of nowhere. Not that it was a bad thing of course; just unusual.

Of course, she still had boys leering at her when they thought she wasn't looking which made her feel a little better about things. Plus being a Cheerio was the best bet she had at keeping her secret. It wasn't like she was ashamed of who she was, okay maybe a little, but she was working on it. On the other hand, since she had been hanging around Brittany, her time with the Cheerios had dropped down a little, but it wasn't even that noticeable. She just preferred the company of the blonde; she felt that she could be around her without being judged and that was a nice feeling.

"Santana, are you even listening?"

Santana is brought back by the sound of Brittany's voice. She had asked her to tutor her in English since the last grade she got wasn't exactly what she was hoping for. If she was ever going to get out of this town she needed to think seriously about her grades and since she knew Brittany was excellent at English, she was her first choice. Plus she wasn't going to lie; it was an excuse to spend more time with her.

"Yeah, course I am," Santana responded with a small smile. "Sorry Brittany, I didn't really sleep last night. My brother was up all night ill and all I could hear was his whimpers whilst my parents took care of him."

"Oh, it's no problem," Brittany said with a smile. "But if you want to pass the next test you have to focus. Do you want to stop and carry on another time?"

Santana nodded her head yawning putting her head in her arms finally letting her arms rest. She wasn't usually one to get sleepy since she got plenty of sleep usually. She always made sure to get at least eight hours a night due to all the working out she does at cheerleading She needed it but last night was just impossible. It wasn't even her brother's fault because he was the ill one. She felt Brittany's fingers tracing along her back making her shudder slightly but, thankfully, Brittany didn't seem to notice. How can someone make you feel this good? She heard Brittany pull up a chair next to her continuing the motions of her fingers.

"You sure you can make it through the day?" Santana heard Brittany ask moving her fingers to trace over the back of her neck gently. "You should go home if you're this tired."

Santana shakes her head in response. She couldn't go home or her parents would kill her before just sending her back telling her it was her own fault for not getting any sleep even though it wasn't. She wanted so badly to just go home and sleep the day away but with Jonah ill, she couldn't. There was no one to take care of him since their Abuela didn't visit them anymore. Santana suspects that she knows about her sexuality, doesn't accept it and doesn't want to be around her. She hates that though because her brother is only ten years old and at that age, you love seeing your grandparents. Santana feels awful about it but it's not as though she told her to stop visiting Jonah. That was her doing and it really does irritate her that she could just easily cut off her own grandkids

"I can't. My parents are at home and they would kill me for going home early. They are big on education." Santana responds sitting up looking at the blonde. "What are your parents like?"

"Oh...um...like any other parents." Brittany lies shrugging her shoulders. "They work a lot."

"Urgh, I get that. My parents are always up at the hospital so half of the time I'm looking after Jonah, my younger brother, during the evenings."

Brittany smiles. "I would love to meet your brother sometime."

Santana looks at Brittany and notices the honesty in her eyes. Did she want to meet some of her family? Does that mean they are getting closer? Santana hopes so but she isn't about to go jumping the wagon so she just smiles back nodding her head. They both hear the bell go off causing Santana to groan before standing up.

"I guess I'll see you later."

Brittany bites her lip, which catches Santana's attention, before shaking her head. "Do you want to come over to mine?"

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How was it that Brittany had gone from keeping her distance from the Latina to inviting her over to her house? She knew her grandpa was out with some of his friends and would be out for the rest of the day, so inviting someone over wouldn't be a problem. She didn't want Santana knowing she had lied about the whole parent's thing. She did like her, actually, she liked her an awful lot, and seeing her so exhausted made her feel for the girl. She knew that she needed some sleep and the only way that was going to happen, without her parents finding out, was to take her to her house. They had totally lied to the nurse of course so they wouldn't ring her parents. Frankly, it was the best acting Brittany had ever done, even though Santana did better, which was inevitable.

"Are your parents alright with this?" Santana asked lifting her head from the car window.

"My parents are working and will be out for the rest of the day," Brittany responded with a smile. "Stop worrying and let yourself relax."

Santana nods her head leaning her head back on the car window making Brittany smile. This girl is seriously cute. She looks sexy, super sexy as a matter of fact, but she is also adorable. Brittany took a final glance at the girl before driving back toward her Grandpa's house. She parked the car in the garage before getting out with Santana.

"This is where you live?" Santana asked as they walked out of the garage allowing Brittany to lock it. "It's not what I imagined."

"What did you imagine?" Brittany asks with a smirk. "Did you think that I lived in a big house with a huge gate at the front?"

Santana chuckled nodding her head. "Believe it or not, I did. You just seemed like you came from a well off family. Forgive me for my assumption."

That actually didn't surprise her in the slightest. People had told her in the past how they thought her family had money. It wasn't true, though. Yes, her mother was a lawyer before she slipped into the coma which meant a lot of money was coming in, but her father was only a janitor at a local high school where he lived. It wasn't anywhere fancy or anything. Her father didn't leave school with much so he hadn't really had any success getting anything better. It is pretty nice t think people think she's got money though just by looking at her. She must look good.

"You're forgiven. Come on, I'll take you inside."

Brittany walks up to the front door unlocking it with Santana on tow. Closing the door she knew her grandpa wasn't here immediately since he didn't come up to her asking questions. She has gotten used to it, though. Putting her bag down, she closes the door behind them watching Santana biting her lip nervously. It was the type of house that was suited for her grandfather, so it didn't look like two adults in their 30's and a teenage girl lived here. She was starting to think this was a bad idea. She was bound to notice.

"Your house is nice," Santana said bringing Brittany out of her thoughts. "Again, totally not what I imagined but it works."

Brittany felt relief wash over her. It wasn't like she didn't want Santana to know her, but she didn't want Santana to know her. It made sense in her head even if it sounded weird out loud.

"Come on, I'll show you my room."

Both of them walked up the stairs, with Brittany leading, towards her bedroom. She walked in trying to recall if she had tidied it that morning and thankfully she had. Brittany just preferred to live in a clean environment and since it was the bedroom she was staying in, she believed in keeping her space tidy. Who wanted to walk into a messy bedroom? No one, that's who.

"Your room is nice," Santana commented with a small smile walking around the room. "It suits you actually. Simple yet elegant."

"I prefer having simple designs. It saves all the complicated work." Brittany responded with a chuckle. "Anyway go lay down on my bed. You're shattered and before you try and argue, don't."

Santana laughed before making her way to the bed. Brittany sat down in her desk chair with her foot propped up on it with her hands linked together resting on her knee. She smiled when she saw how Santana let her eyes close the moment her head hit the pillow. She really did look adorable laying there with a peaceful expression on her face. Brittany couldn't help herself so she walked over grabbing a blanket from the side covering Santana with it stroking her hair softly before pulling away picking up her diary and sat at her desk. Brittany heard Santana's breathing even out showing that she was asleep and was surprised at how fast she had fallen asleep, but that might just be because Santana could. If only she was like that. Shaking her head, she picked up a pen and started to write.

April 4th, 2014

 _It's been a few days since the party and I won't lie to you journal, I have developed deeper feelings for Santana. She doesn't give up on me and her friendship is genuine. Just yesterday I found myself staring at her from down the hall where I was getting things from my locker whilst she was with a bunch of other cheerleaders. She is captivating, sexy and dreamy all at the same time. Whenever we are together I don't feel my heart pound, but that's because she doesn't make me nervous. I feel at ease with her and I can honestly say I trust her. I'm not ready to go on these feelings just yet but I hope that one day I will feel confident enough to do so. I don't know if she feels the same but I have a feeling she does because just the other day I noticed her checking my ass out. She doesn't know that I noticed though which makes me think that she is still in the closet. I've noticed her staring at my boobs multiple times which makes me wonder if she does like me, Even if she does I don't know what to do about it because I'm not ready for a relationship. A relationship is based on trust and all I can do right now is lie. But boy do I wish I could feel the softness of her lips and experience the taste._

 _She's asked me to tutor her in English because she's been falling behind so I happily accepted. I want to get close to her so bad but then there is that possibility of her finding out about what Jason did to me and I don't want that. I try so hard not to flinch when she touches me, but I still freak out. I still look twice when looking around corners and I try my best not to leave the house at night because that's when all the creeps come out. I have wanted to go to the doctor so bad to check for any damage, but I know that if there is they'll ask questions and I wouldn't be able to answer them. I have a secret, but I am too afraid to say it out loud because that would make it real. So I will tell you._

 _I was sexually abused by my mother's husband for three and a half years._

Brittany dropped her pen after writing it down. She had actually written it down for the first time and it may not have been spoken out loud, but this was something. It was real. Brittany felt her eyes water until she realized she had company and wiped her eyes instantly. She closed the journal up and put it in her desk locking the drawer. She wasn't going to risk anyone finding it accidently. Shaking her head, Brittany got up and looked in the mirror to see if it was noticeable that she had been crying and luckily, it wasn't.

Brittany kicked off her shoes and made her way over to the bed. It was a double bed so she always had plenty of room when sleeping but since Santana was on the side nearest the wall, she just slid in next to her laying down looking up at the ceiling. Sleep was hard these days with the nightmares she had so to be able to just relax was rare. The entire room was her safety net. Brittany needed it and felt incredibly lucky to have it. Yawning, she let her eyes flutter closed not realizing how tired she was before falling asleep.

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 _Pressure on her chest wasn't the only thing she felt. Her entire body felt numb; she couldn't move, She wanted to scream, but who would hear her? Her mother was in the hospital and her voice box didn't seem to work. His face came into view and it terrified her. It was the same position she had been in a number of times. He was the reason for the pressure. He was holding her in place. She knew he had locked the door to stop anyone coming in and closed the curtains so no one could see. He had thought of everything. She wanted to hit him and run, but he was too strong. Why couldn't she fight him? Why was she scared? She wanted to cry but wouldn't give him that satisfaction of seeing her vulnerable. She wanted her mom to run in and find her, but she wasn't conscious. His brown hair was gelled up like usual with his dark brown eyes staring her down. His stubble was starting to show too from not shaving. His lips were forming a smirk before moving to her ear taunting her how no one could save her. No one was around to hear her. Her fear escalated as his hand moved down to his pants unbuckling them making her watch before-_

"Brittany!"

The blonde shot up in her bed sweating like mad looking around the room in a panic. She looked to the side to see Santana with a look of worry on her face. Shit. Her nightmare. She had a nightmare with Santana around. This wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't meant to see her like this; so vulnerable. She picked up a towel from the side wiping the sweat from her face and neck. His face was right at the front of her mind. She hated it. She hated that he was getting to her and had been doing so for the past 4 years. She needed to escape.

"Brittany? Are you okay?" Santana asked slowly putting a hand on her arm pulling in back when she flinches. "Do you want to talk about it? I know that was one of your nightmares."

Brittany shot Santana a look before getting out of the bed. She didn't need this. She needed her to get out and leave her in peace so she could cry alone. She was not about to let Santana in just so she can freak out and run off like she knows she will. Beautiful girls like Santana are the ones who hurt you the most. She can't do it. Not now.

"You need to leave."

"What?" Santana asked; hurt by the sentiment. "Did I do something wrong?"

Did she do something wrong? Honestly? No. Brittany wanted to beg Santana to stay and to hold her; to make her feel safe again. She wanted to kiss Santana and tell her that she wanted to be with her. Was that realistic? Probably, but it certainly wasn't realistic in the situation she was in. She couldn't get close to anyone. She was terrified. How could she be with her when someone else had forcefully taken something that is originally supposed to be a beautiful moment between two people who love each other? How could she ever get to a stage where she feels safe enough to have sexual intimacy with another person without being reminded of her terrifying past? It wasn't logical and Santana deserved someone who could give her that beautiful moment without being scared or feeling disgusted with themselves. Santana deserved someone who wasn't her. Brittany knew what she had to do.

"Get out. I knew this friendship was a bad idea." Brittany stated, looking at Santana with a stone cold expression.

Santana was in shock. One minute she was happy with them being friends and the next she didn't want anything to do with her? What was keeping Brittany from opening up to her? She nodded her head before stopping in front of Brittany who was looking back with the same expression on her face.

"When are you going to realize that I actually care about you?" Santana asked. "Brittany, I'm not trying to get you to open up to me. All I asked was if you were okay and if you don't want to tell me, then okay."

Brittany just kept the same expression on her face trying to get her to leave, but it wasn't working. She was still here and wasn't going. Why did Santana try so hard to be her friend? Why did she want to know her so bad?

"Why do you want to be my friend Santana?" Brittany asked letting the kinder side of her peak through letting go of the cold stare replacing it with a curiosity. "You just keep trying to get close to me and I don't understand why you haven't given up."

Santana moves a hand up to Brittany's face slowly cupping her cheek softly with her hand making sure not to startle Brittany too much. She waited for Brittany to show that she felt comfortable before stroking her cheek softly looking at her. Santana gives Brittany a warm smile.

"Everyone deserves a friend. You are so special Brittany, magical even, but you don't see it in yourself. I'm going to be here for you, even when you don't want me to be. You can put on this tough outer shell, but I know you want me around. I can see it in your eyes."

Santana's touch was warming up her entire body. She felt connected to her at that moment. Special. No one, not even Isla, had made her feel this way. It showed Brittany how much, deep down, she needed the girl. She did. She wasn't going to deny that anymore. Santana was helping her. But the fact of the matter was, she was getting too close but she couldn't let her go. No matter what she said to her, she couldn't kick Santana out of her life no matter how hard she tried. She couldn't do it. Why was she so weak around this girl? Brittany felt her eyes water and her head nod in agreement.

"I do. I want you around, no, I need you around." Brittany whispers. "No matter how hard I try, I want you around me. I want to keep my distance, but I feel as though I'm bound to you."

"Brittany, I'm not going to hurt you," Santana promised looking into her ocean blue eyes. "That's a promise."

With that lingering in the air, Santana leant up slightly kissing Brittany's cheek softly, whispering a goodbye into her ear before walking out of the room. Brittany stood rooted to the spot. Had Santana actually just done that? She had never felt connected to someone so much in her entire life and now here she was, mesmerized by this one girl. How had she let this happen? There was no going back now. Santana had given her that promise and Brittany knew that she trusted this girl. She never trusted promises before because they always got broken but this time; this time she actually believed the words. She turned around on the spot looking at the closed door which Santana had just walked through. Reaching up, Brittany felt her cheek and smiled. Santana was something completely different but she liked that about her.

"Brittany! "

Hearing her grandfather's voice made her come out of her thoughts instantly. She walked down the stairs to see him walking through the door with a load of bags. She instantly walked towards him helping him with his bags carrying them to the kitchen when she noticed they were full of food putting them on the counter.

"You went shopping?" Brittany asked when he brought the rest of the bags into the kitchen.

John nodded his head chuckling. "Ja. I needed to since you eat more than I thought."

Brittany blushed before making a start at putting the groceries away. It was true, she did eat a lot but that was fruit and veg more than anything. She liked to keep herself healthy by eating right and exercising frequently. She had a pretty good body if she did say so herself, and obviously with the way Santana checked her out she must be doing something right.

"Sorry, Grandpa. I can get a job if you are struggling to pay for me to be here." Brittany offered. "I mean you are doing me a huge favor letting me stay."

John shook his head instantly. "You will do no such thing. I want your focus to be entirely on your studies so you can get out of here and go somewhere big to live your dream."

"But I could help you out, Opa. I feel bad for living here and not doing much to help." Brittany mumbled leaning against the counter with her arms folded. "You are doing so much for me and I can't allow you to just take me in without asking for anything in return."

"We are family and families do that for one another. You needed a place to stay so here I am. I think you need the space from Phoenix in particular because you definitely are not the same girl I remember. It's just an assumption on my part of course, but you seem a lot more broken. I suppose having your mother in a coma does that to a person." John explains taking Brittany's hand giving her a warm smile. "Now stop worrying and help me put all this stuff away. I'm not as young as I used to be."

Truth be told, spending time with her Grandpa did mean she was able to forget what happened with Santana and move on from it. She knew that Santana had seen her in a vulnerable position, but she also knew that she wouldn't use that against her. She was different. Santana Lopez was the one person in the town that she trusted and had given her a reason to. Yes, people had tried to talk to her and they had her number but she wouldn't even think about telling them the things Santana knew. Shaking her head out of her thoughts, Brittany walked back to her room and laid down on the bed looking up at the ceiling after making sure the window were locked and her curtains were closed. She didn't want to be too careful after all.

One thing that did worry her was the nightmare. It had never once gotten to the point where she saw Jason up close. Did that mean he was close by? Was this a sign that he was close to finding her and dragging her back to Phoenix? Brittany dreaded to think. She hadn't heard from Jason since that message and if she could, she would just erase him from her life. Just like you erase a mistake on a piece of paper. Unfortunately, life doesn't work that way. It never has and it never will. Brittany knew that, but it didn't stop her from dreaming.

She heard the ringtone on her phone go off which brought her out of her thoughts. She turned to the side picking up the phone looking at who was calling. She froze.

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Santana had made her way home and walked into the house to hear the TV on. She smiled when she saw Jonah sat there curled up under his favorite superman blanket cuddling his favorite teddy bear. He would never tell his friends of course but this was the way he felt better. Santana knew that the bear was his oldest stuffed animal which he just refused to give up. Their Abuela gave it to him which was why it meant so much to him. He missed her.

"Hey, champ," Santana said ruffling his hair up leaning over the back of the couch with a smile. "How're you feeling?"

"Better I think," Jonah responded quietly. "Nothin' on TV."

Santana nodded her head watching him. He was never usually like this and she knew this because he didn't complain about her messing up his hair. It was one of their things and he wasn't having it today. Jonah was even sat watching the news and that was the most boring thing to watch aside from watching grass grow. Jonah's words, not hers.

"Mami and papi not here?" Santana asked trying to get him to talk more, but all she got was a shake of his head. She sighed moving to the arm of the couch where his head was running her fingers through his hair. "I know you miss her."

Jonah nodded his head leaning his head back on her leg. "I don't know what I did wrong. Why would she just stop coming to see me? Have I made her mad?"

"No honey, you haven't made her mad," Santana assured him biting her lip nervously. "It's my fault I think."

Jonah sat up looking at her. "Why? Did you make her mad?"

Santana smiled shaking her head sitting beside him on the couch pulling him into her. She trusted Jonah and the only way to make him understand was to be truthful. It might hurt, but Jonah deserved it. She couldn't have him going around blaming himself for something that was her fault. She wouldn't allow it.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Santana asked looking down at her brother. "You have to promise not to tell anyone, though."

"I promise, Tana. What is it?"

"Well, you know mami and papi love each other, right?" She began trying to figure out how to go about this conversation. She bit her lip when she saw Jonah nod looking up at her. "Well, I don't love the way they do."

"You don't?" Jonah asks before pouting.

Santana smiled at how cute Jonah was. She remembers when she was younger and first held him in her arms as a child. It was the best moment she can remember and she always swore to look after him. She kept that promise and was going to continue to. He meant everything to her but Santana needed him to know who she was. She was living a lie and after being around Brittany she knew she couldn't keep it a secret anymore. She wasn't ready to come out of the closet just yet, but she wanted her little brother to know the real Santana. She wanted him to see her the way she doesn't see herself. Brave.

"Well, you know that boys and girls like each other? Well, I'm not like that."

Jonah pressed his lips together in confusion. "Why? Are you broken?"

"No no, I'm not broken, Jo. The thing is...I like girls." Santana finally admitted feeling her whole body relax. She notices Jonah putting his thinking face on. "I like to kiss girls the way mami and papi do. I'm going to have a girlfriend."

"And that's why Abuela won't talk to me?" Jonah asks piecing it together. Santana nods her head. He had always been the smart one. "But that's silly. You should be able to kiss girls if you want to."

"I know Jonah, but Abuela doesn't understand that. She thinks boys and girls should kiss, but not two boys or two girls." Santana explained. "I know it's not fair but that's what she thinks and it's why she doesn't want to come over. I think she figured it out."

Jonah goes quiet for a few moments which makes Santana a little nervous. He wasn't going to take Abuela's side, was he? She really hoped not or else they wouldn't be talking and that would be awful. They had a great relationship and she really hoped she hadn't just ruined it. Santana was surprised when Jonah hugged her making her smile.

"I don't care if Abuela doesn't want to talk to you. I love you Tana, and if you like girls then that's awesome."Jonah said smiling before pulling away. "Just make sure you have a girlfriend who can play with me when they come over."

Chuckling Santana nodded before kissing Jonah's forehead. "I'll make sure I choose the most playful person to have as my girlfriend so they will play with you."

Jonah grins before picking up the remote and changing the channel to something actually interesting. Santana smiles glad that Jonah seemed to have picked up his mood a little. Even though she didn't have her Abuela in her life currently, she was so grateful for who she did have. Her family and friends kept her going and she even had teachers there for her. Santana couldn't honestly ask for any better.

"Tana? Can we have pizza for dinner? Mami said you are supposed to make it for us."

"Sure buddy. What would you like?" Santana asked, even though she knew exactly what he wanted. She just liked to make sure.

Jonah flashes a smile in her direction. "Chicken!"

Santana smiled nodding her head getting up walking to the kitchen. Having a night in with her brother was what she needed right now. She felt as though she could be herself without any judgment and that was what she was getting. Her brother was happy for her and he had cheered up as well which was a bonus. She called the pizza shop ordering them both some food before walking back and cuddling up on the couch with her brother. She looked down at Jonah before smiling and kissing his head letting herself relax. Peacefulness; just what she wanted.


	9. Nine

**Warning: Mention of sexual abuse**

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Hospitals. If anyone was to ask where she was to be right now, this would not even be in her top one hundred. She hated them. To Brittany, hospitals were a place where people died. Suffered even. She hated that she was here and so close to her old life. So close to being trapped again. This time was different, though. She told her grandpa about the phone call she received about her mother. She had been responding. Could this be the happy ending she had been hoping for? She had asked before she left for Jason to be kept off the contact list. Hopefully, her request was processed. All Brittany could focus on was her surroundings. Many people looked sicker than sick if that was even possible. Some patients were just around with broken bones and there were some that were on hospital beds unconscious. Hospitals had a ton of bugs going around. Being sick was not something she wanted right now. Her mom. That was who she wanted. No, that was a lie. Brittany needed her mom to wake up and be okay. She couldn't go about her life hoping anymore. She needed action. Results.

The hospital rang yesterday evening and here she was a day later at the hospital. They rang to tell her about her mother responding and it was possible she could wake up. Brittany was not about to miss this opportunity so she told her grandfather about it. They got in the car pretty much straight away and drove to Phoenix as fast as they could. She was so excited but nervous at the same time. What if Jason turns up? Her legs were bouncing nervously; anxiously waiting for any news from the doctors. She felt a hand on her leg squeezing it in comfort.

"She'll come back to us." Her grandfather said with a comforting smile. "There's no way your mom would give up without a fight."

Brittany nodded, reverting her gaze back to the floor. "I want her transferred to Lima General. She's safer closer to us."

"You read my mind, honey," John responded nudging his shoulder against hers. "I'll sort it all out, don't you worry."

The waiting was the worst part. She hated waiting for information since it always took forever. She wanted to see her mom now. She needed to know that she was going to live - that things would go back to the way they were before Jason. Prior to him ruined their lives. Before he ruined her. She put her head into her hands trying not to worry.

"Brittany?"

Her head raised to see her father. What was he doing here? Brittany didn't even know that he knew about the accident. He had never bothered to call her so she stopped bothering and caring. He had a new family after all. A new life without her in it. Why would he care about them? They only provided shelter for him after all until he found elsewhere.

"What are you doing here?" Brittany asked raising her eyebrow. "You aren't married to her anymore."

"I know I haven't exactly been the best father, but when I found out about your mom I knew I needed to come and see you." Her father explained before sitting on the other side of her. "I care about you and I know I haven't been there for you, but I want to start ."

"David I don't think now is the right time to be trying to fix things," John warned the man. "Brittany is hurt right now and the last thing she wants to do is talk to the man who abandoned her after her parents separated."

Brittany wasn't sure what to think. She wanted a relationship with her dad, of course, she did, but at the moment she was just trying to get by. If he hadn't basically abandoned her for his new girlfriend she might have had a normal life without the abuse. Maybe things wouldn't have happened with Jason. Maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't be scarred the way she is. Brittany felt her eyes tear up just thinking about everything before she wiped them away quickly. She didn't want anyone seeing her like this. So broken; so hurt. Shaking her head she stood up looking in the window of her mother's room. She looked peaceful. Painless. She wanted that for her. She deserved so much better than Jason. Brittany knew that if her mother came through from this then she would make things better for them. She would make sure Jason doesn't go anywhere near them. He wouldn't hurt them again.

Turning around to look at her father, Brittany noticed how he truly seemed like he wanted to be there for her. She didn't trust him, though. Why should she? There was no reason to trust him, but she did feel for the man. He had travelled all this way to come and make sure she was okay, which had to mean something.

"Grandpa's right. Now isn't the best time but since you travelled all this way see me and mom then I guess I can at least think about it." Brittany responded nodding her head. "Even after the way you've acted, I still love you."

Brittany saw her father about to respond when a doctor walked out of the room. He didn't look as though he was about to deliver good news, but then again, he didn't look like he was going to deliver bad news either. He had an unreadable expression on his face, but doctors probably had to be like that so family and friends of a patient didn't assume the worst or the best. It must really suck being a doctor.

"Family of Whitney Pierce?"

Her Grandpa stood up to stand beside her whilst her dad stood on the other side. They both looked as worried as she was. It couldn't be bad. Brittany wasn't ready to lose a parent yet. Especially her mom who had been there for her through a lot of things in her life. She wanted to get to know that person and feel loved again. What person wouldn't want that?

"We're her family," John confirmed wrapping an arm around Brittany. "How is she?"

"She's responding which is a good thing and a lot more than what she did a year after the accident. She isn't awake yet, unfortunately, but what I can say is I believe she will wake up." The doctor explained.

"We would like to transfer my daughter to Lima General. I live there with her daughter and I think it would be within everyone's best interest if she transfers. I would like to visit her and so would Brittany." John explains getting straight to the point. Brittany looks at the doctor nodding her head in agreement.

The doctor looks at the both of them."Of course. If you would like to go to reception and fill the necessary paperwork out then it will be all sorted for you."

Without another word, John walked to reception to talk to the receptionist whilst Brittany and David waited in front of her mother's room. Brittany put her hands on the window looking inside. She hated that so many wires were attached to her just to keep her alive. Why did bad things happen to good people? How was that fair? Her mom was a good person and there she was laying in the hospital bed unconscious. Brittany didn't get it, but one thing she did hope for was that karma would get back at the person who did this.

Being in Phoenix just brought back so many horrible memories. Leaving and never returning was a must with the way her nerves were just heightening by the minute. She couldn't stay here; not anymore. Brittany moved down the corridor to look out of the hospital window. The street lights were lit up since it was now 9 pm and it had turned pitch black outside. Just looking at the city made her miserable. Closing her eyes, Brittany tried to compose herself but all it did was take her back to a memory. A memory of where it all began.

\- February 2011 -

 _Brittany was sat in her room listening to some music. Her mom had just called to say she was jumping in the shower so it was going to be occupied for the next half an hour. It didn't bother her in particular since she had homework to do anyway. Jason was downstairs watching some show so she was going to stay upstairs. Far away from his presence. She really did not like the man. He had been giving her funny looks ever since they had met and, frankly, she didn't feel safe to be alone with him. But she wasn't going to let him distract her. She had Sectionals coming up and she had to figure out a routine for them to do. As it turns out she is one of the youngest students at the school to get the Captain honor. Her coach was so impressed with the routine she put together for the tryout that she made her captain. Safe to say, the old captain did not like her. Funnily enough, though, everyone on the team respected and listened to her. She did have good ideas after all._

 _She heard a knock at her door which was strange since Jason was downstairs and her mother was in the shower. Had Jason let one of her friends in? She stood up and opened it to see Jason standing there with a smirk on his face. The blood drained from her face. What was he even doing at her door? She was about to close it again when he stopped her, stepping inside closing the door behind him. What the hell was he doing in her room uninvited?_

 _"What are you doing in here?" Brittany asked glaring at the man folding her arms. "Mom said you aren't allowed in my room. I heard her, so get out."_

 _"I was just coming to make amends," Jason said casually looking around the room. "You have a nice room here."_

 _What was he trying to play here? "Mom designed it. She said it suited my personality."_

 _Jason nodded his head taking a step forward. "It really does suit you. So does that outfit. Fits your curves perfectly actually. I'm sure you have a lot of boys staring at you at school."_

 _Brittany shuffled on the spot feeling extremely comfortable. She kept her arms folded holding them over her chest looking at the floor just wanting him to leave. Why couldn't he leave? Why did he have to be staring at her the way he was doing? He was dating her mom, so why was he giving her these looks that made her feel naked?_

 _"I guess so," Brittany responded quietly keeping her gaze on the floor hating how Jason made her feel small. Maybe he would leave. Her mom wouldn't be that much longer in the shower anyway. He wouldn't risk it. "You should go. I have homework to do."_

 _She felt him close to her. It was as though they were sharing the same air and he was taking most of it. She felt...trapped. She couldn't move. It was as though her feet were bolted to the floor. Why couldn't she just move? He was too close. He was definitely in her personal space now, but she kept her gaze on the floor. She tensed up when he placed his hand on her shoulder moving her hair away from it. She had never felt so scared in her life. His other hand rested on her waist gently moving to her lower back pressing her into him. She clenched her eyes shut praying for him to stop. This was not happening. She had been so scared of this scenario and now it was coming true._

 _"You are such a beautiful young lady, Brittany."Jason murmured taking the hand away from her shoulder moving it down her side slowly as though he was examining her. Planning his next move even._

 _Brittany let out a sigh of relief when he pulled his hands away but she still kept to the same spot. She still couldn't find it within herself to move no matter how much she wanted to run. She wanted to call her mom to come and save her, but she knew he would never allow it. He would stop her somehow. She clenched and unclenched her fists feeling the air around her again. She opened her eyes to see him gone. Well, that was her original thought. The door hadn't even opened so which meant-_

 _"I'll make sure you never see your mother again if you tell anyone about this." Jason hissed into her ear trailing his hands down her sides agonizingly slowly before moving behind her to rest them on her ass. She tensed immediately when she felt his rough hands moving over her once again._

 _Her entire body froze in fear whilst his hands moved over her body; feeling every inch. Every curve. She whimpered wanting him to leave. This wasn't supposed to happen. Brittany wasn't stupid in the slightest. She had read about stuff like this in school and what he was doing was definitely illegal. She knew he didn't care, though. She felt his hot breath on her neck as though he was taking in her scent. It scared her to death._

 _"Stop it." Brittany pleaded in a whisper. "Please don't do this."_

 _He chuckled into her ear and even by not seeing him, she could tell he was smirking. He was enjoying this. He was enjoying her fear. It was a game to him. He wanted to see how far he could go. How far without her mother finding out. With one last firm squeeze of her ass, he pulled back walking to the door. He was upfront about what he wanted. There was no waiting. She knew her life as about to change for the worst. Before he opened it he turned to her._

 _"Remember what I told you." Jason threatened giving her a pointed look before exiting the room._

 _Brittany stood there for a few minutes not being able to move before she finally walked to the bed sitting down bringing her knees up to her chest. All she could feel was his rough hands. His touch. His smell. She let tears fall from her eyes and onto the bed._

-April 2014-

Brittany jumped in surprise when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see her grandpa standing there with a concerned look on his face.

"Are you okay, Brittany?" He asked which she seemed to hear a lot of nowadays. "I came to tell you that we're leaving now. I booked us a hotel for tonight then we'll drive back tomorrow. They've accepted the transfer as well so your mother will be in Lima General by tomorrow evening."

"Okay, thanks, Grandpa. Can we go now? I'm kind of tired." Brittany lied looking at the floor. She just wanted to get rid of the memory that had come to the front of her mind.

John nodded kissing his granddaughter's forehead before making their way out of the hospital. Brittany stopped before they reached the doors turning around to see her father looking at her. She wrote down her phone number on a small piece of paper before walking to him and handing it to him with a small smile.

"Everyone who deserves it should get a second chance," Brittany told her father before walking away.

Yes, today may have been hard, but he had tried at least and that was definitely more than what some people did. Getting into the car she stared out of the window. After such a draining day she couldn't wait to just get into bed and fall asleep. Preferably not to dream as well.

xxxxxxxxxx

Laying in bed, Santana couldn't help but worry. She hadn't heard or seen anything from Brittany since the day she fell asleep in her room. Had Brittany been offended or something? The school refused to tell her anything due to privacy, not that she asked. She wasn't a stalker. Shaking her head, she tried closing her eyes to sleep but all she could hear were her thoughts. Maybe she had family issues? God knows. Brittany was different too. She wasn't like any other girl she had met, or liked. She was mysterious and it was one of the reasons she liked Brittany so much. She was different and Santana could tell that she had a story to tell. Brittany had lived elsewhere which made her even more interesting. Santana had always dreamed of getting out of Ohio, but she wouldn't even know where to go. New York? Chicago? LA, maybe? There was a huge list.

A ringing started to go off in her room. She sat up and looked at the clock. It was midnight and someone was calling her? She looked at the phone and saw it was Quinn. What was she doing calling at this hour? Who calls someone at friggin' midnight for a chat? Still. Santana was curious, so she accepted the call putting the phone to her ear.

"Quinn, you do realize what time it is, right?" Santana asked laying back down in bed. "People sleep at this time."

"I know Santana. I just...I have something to tell you."

"Crap, you're not pregnant again, are you?" Santana asked, feeling guilty as soon as she spoke. "Sorry, I know that was a bitchy thing to say, but I saw what it did to you the first time."

The phone line went quiet for a few moments which worried Santana a little since Quinn was usually quite chatty. Whatever she wanted to tell her couldn't be good.

"I slept with Puck," Quinn admitted breathing out her response. "I didn't mean to. It kind of just happened. I was lonely and he was just there."

Wow. Santana was sure not expecting that confession. "Did you at least wear protection this time?"

"Yes I made sure of it. But now I don't what to do Santana. He will always be special to me because we had a baby together, but now what? I can't just take that back."

"Well did you enjoy it?"

"I'm not sure. I mean...it was kind of nice." Quinn answered mumbling through the phone. "It doesn't mean I like him, though, right?"

Santana let out a small chuckle. "No, it doesn't mean you suddenly like each other. You were just lonely, right? That's totally normal."

Wow. Quinn and Puck are back on? Santana had kind of always liked them together. Quinn was a bitch and Puck was just, well, Puck. They had a baby together and Santana knew that Puck always had a soft spot for Quinn. She was his baby mama after all. She really wished the blonde had thought it through before jumping into bed with the guy, but it's done now. No going back.

"Yeah, you're right. Totally normal. Of course." Quinn said before sighing. "Sorry for the late night call. Still, thanks for picking up."

Santana smiled. "You're welcome. I'll talk to you more about this tomorrow, I promise."

"Okay, San. Thank you again."

Hanging up the phone, Santana returned her phone to the side before it went off again. Groaning, Santana picked it up. "Q, I told you I would talk to you in the morning."

"Sorry, is this a bad time?" A voice spoke softly to her on the phone making Santana smile. Brittany.

"No no, it's totally fine. Are you okay?" Santana asked instantly feeling her worrying take over a little bit.

"I'm fine don't worry. A family emergency that's all."

Santana sighed in relief. At least something hadn't happened to her. "Is everything okay? With your family I mean."

"Oh yeah, things are fine. We just had to travel, that's all. Are you okay?"

"I'm good. Why did you call me?" Santana asks, sitting up in bed.

"I just...I needed to talk to you." Brittany responded quietly through the phone. "I'm sorry that it's late."

"No, it's okay. What did you want to talk about?"

The phone line was quiet for a few moments before Santana even heard Brittany breathe. She didn't say or do anything within that time allowing the blonde to have that time to think about what to say. Ever since Santana had met the blonde and had seen how mysterious she was, she knew that Brittany was not about to spill out what was wrong instantly. Having that time to think and process everything was vital so Santana just leant back listening to the sound of Brittany's breathing. It was quite soothing as a matter of fact.

"Do you want to, oh I don't know, catch a movie with me sometime?"

"What? As in...a date?" Santana asked feeling her heart start to beat a little faster. "This isn't like you."

The line went silent yet again but Santana knew Brittany was there, just getting her thoughts together again.

"What? No! No, not a date. I wasn't even…no. Not a date. Just friends." Brittany stuttered before taking a breath to compose herself. "Just friends, Santana."

"Oh yeah? Mhm okay, Brittany."

"I'm serious! If you're going to be like that I take it back."

Santana couldn't help but let out a giggle. "I'm only joking. I would love to go to a movie with you sometime."

"Great! That's…great! Um, I have to…"Brittany stuttered making Santana smile.

"Go. I'll talk to you later."

Before she knew it, Brittany had hung up the phone and the line went dead. With one look at the clock noticing it was now almost 1 am, she laid her head down on the pillow and sighed happily. Tonight was definitely the night of some well-needed sleep.

"Tana?"

Looking up, Santana saw Jonah clutching his favorite stuffed giraffe. Even though he was ten he still slept with a toy since it gave him comfort. It all started when he had heard their parents arguing one night and he picked up the first toy he could get his hands on and it had been his favorite ever since. That may have been ten years ago but it had stopped him going into their parent's room so much.

"Hey little man," Santana greeted with a warm smile, "what's up?"

"I heard noises in my room and mami and papi are at work. Can I sleep with you tonight?" Jonah asked in a small voice making Santana's heart melt. Sometimes he just knew how to get to her. She sighed and motioned him over with her hand.

"Come here, sweetie."

Jonah grinned running into the room jumping up onto her bed. It wasn't too bad since she did have a double bed. Her room, in fact, was quite dark even though she may not seem it, she does like the darkness of her room. For one it just makes people, mainly her parents, see that they don't know her at all. When she doesn't have company she can actually have posters of female celebrities such as Taylor Swift and Hayden Panettiere. As well as dark sheets and walls, she had black curtains, drawers as well as a rug on the floor near her bed. It might not be a room that seemed like her but she loved it. She could be herself without any judgment. As a matter of fact, Jonah loved it and felt safe, even if it was dark.

Santana pulled the covers back whilst her brother got inside. She smiled holding him close to her watching as he started to close his eyes ready to fall asleep. She kissed his head laying her head down closing her eyes ready to fall asleep when she heard Jonah's soft voice.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure buddy. What's up?" Santana asked running her fingers through his hair.

Jonah turned around looking at his sister. "Will you still play with me when you get a girlfriend?"

Chuckling, Santana nodded. "Of course. I'll make sure I get a girlfriend who loves to play."

"Promise?"

Santana smiled holding her pinkie out wrapping it around Jonah's. "Pinkie promise."

Xxxxxxxxxx

April 10th 2014

 _Last time we spoke you found out something serious about me and I don't regret telling you. I've decided to keep you in a secret hiding place just in case someone came across it accidently. Journal, I've got some news. Mom has been transferred to Lima General Hospital so she is close by. I love it because I can see her whenever I want without the possibility of Jason being there. From what I am aware Jason doesn't know that she has been transferred and I have told the hospital to let me know if he turns up so I know whether to be worried or to request a restraining order. I know that he still lives in my old house currently but when mom wakes up I'll make sure to convince her that he needs to be evicted. We can't stay in Lima forever. I mean I like it because Santana is here and the people are nice but my home is in Phoenix. The only reason I'm not there is because of that asshole living in my home. I will figure out what happened to my mother. I know he did something and I will find a way to prove that even if it is the last thing I do. I will find out the truth and get that bastard in jail._

A ringing brought Brittany back from her thoughts. Standing up, she walked to answer the door. Her grandfather was out so it was possible he had forgotten his keys. Opening the door, she was surprised to see Santana in her cheerleading uniform.

"Santana? "

Santana stood there looking nervous. She could tell just by her body language. Fidgeting with her hands and swaying slightly were just two things Brittany had begun to notice. There were obviously more things she could pick up on but she didn't want to keep a nervous Santana Lopez standing on the front porch.

"Come on. It's getting cold and I won't let you heighten my parent's heating bill by letting all the warm air out." Brittany declared opening up the door further allowing the Latina to walk into the house closing the door behind her. "What are you doing here?"

"I was worried. You've not been at school all week." Santana stated looking at the blonde. "Why is that?"

Brittany folded her arms. "That's none of your business."

"Brittany..."

"No! I'm not having you walk into my home and ask questions!" Brittany snapped walking past Santana before turning around. "Now if all you want is to find out information which you have no business to acquire then you can just leave."

Santana sighed. "Okay. Okay, you're right. I'm sorry for intruding. I'm just concerned."

"Well stop being concerned," Brittany responded looking at the Latina. "Why do you care so much?"

Santana looked at Brittany with a soft look. "Everyone deserves someone, Brittany. Even those people, just like yourself, that are so guarded they won't let anyone in."

Brittany looked at the girl in front of her before sighing. She walked up to Santana standing in front of her. Her nerves, Brittany had noticed, had obliterated completely and she seems pretty calm. She didn't know what was happening to her or why she was feeling like this but before she could stop herself she leaned in, placed her hands on Santana's waist letting her eyes flutter closed kissing her. Like no-one in her past, not even Isla, she saw fireworks when they kissed. All she could focus on was the softness of Santana's lips trying not to panic. What Brittany didn't expect, however, was Santana's arms going around her neck pulling her body closer to her own. Brittany wasn't sure whether to pull away in fear or to try and relax. Her mind was going into overdrive in that moment, so much that she couldn't even focus on the kiss. Flashes of her past came to her mind. Jason. Isla. Her mother. Everything was just being brought up to the surface and it just...scared her. Terrified her.

Noticing her face was getting wet, Brittany pulled a hand up to touch her cheek when she felt another hand get there before hers. Her eyes looked slightly to the left to notice a tanned hand place itself on her cheek. Santana had reached up touching her cheek before using her thumb to wipe the tears away that were coming from her eye. Brittany hadn't even noticed she was crying. Brittany Pierce does not cry. Why was she crying? Furthermore, why was she crying in front of another person? Pulling back, Brittany turned her back to Santana, wiping her tears away quickly.

"You don't need to be ashamed. Crying is a completely natural human response. It doesn't usually happen during kissing, but that doesn't mean it hasn't ever happened during a kiss." Santana assured the blonde watching her carefully.

Brittany didn't know what to say. Santana had seen her vulnerable and she couldn't take that back. She was the one who had made the move to kiss her and it was her who had the bad memories of her past which caused her to cry. If she had just kept her emotions to herself she wouldn't be in this situation. In fact, Santana just being in her house was a huge step. She knew that allowing Santana to get close was a bad idea. This just proved it. Brittany turned to look at the Latina.

"If you tell anyone-"

"I won't." Santana immediately responded holding her hands up in defense. "No one, and I mean no one, will find out about this. Not the kiss nor the crying. Not anything."

Brittany nodded her head putting her hands in her pocket. "I know."

Walking up to Brittany, Santana put her hand on the blonde's shoulder. "You can trust me, Britt. You need to learn that I'm not going anywhere. I like you, probably more than I should, but I like you and I would never hurt you. But you have to promise me something."

"I don't do deals, Santana. However, I'm listening."

Biting her lip, the Latina looked at Brittany before folding her arms. "You can't tell anyone about...about whatever this is. I can't have everyone know that I like...well, that I'm not exactly straight." Santana whispered looking at the floor. "Please."

"Santana, I'm not going to out you if that's what you think," Brittany assured. She watched Santana noticing her lowered gaze. "Please look at me."

Wiping her eyes, Santana shook her head. "I can't."

Stepping towards Santana, Brittany raised her head with her finger smiling when brown eyes met her blue. All her worries somehow didn't matter anymore. Only making Santana feel better mattered and she liked that concept. Her hand went to Santana's cheek letting her eyes soak in her beauty. She was indeed very beautiful and having the privilege to be up close was even better. She was stunning. Gorgeous. Smiling, Brittany allowed her lips to graze Santana's gently before pulling back looking directly into her eyes. She knew the girl needed reassurance and she was going to give her that.

"No one will find out about your sexuality until you are ready. I promise you."

Santana looked at the blonde in front of her and knew instantly that she could trust her. She nodded her head wrapping her arms around her neck kissing her softly before burying her face into her neck. She didn't trust many people but Brittany was different. Brittany was kind, honest, a little drawn back too but most of all, Santana knew she could trust her and that was the most important aspect.

Pulling away, Brittany smiled. "How does that movie idea sound?"

"A movie sounds great."

Santana smiled when Brittany pressed a small kiss to her cheek walking out of the room. Folding her arms, Santana looked down at her arms as though inspecting them before looking up when she heard a door open and close. Brittany stood in front of her holding a jacket in Santana's direction.

"I'm not letting you go out without a jacket. I might not be popular or anything but I'm not about to let you get cold." Brittany said shaking the jacket in her hand. "Take it or I'll put it on you myself."

Laughing, Santana took it putting it on looking at the arms when it was on her body. She had seen the blonde wear the same jacket multiple times. "This is your favorite."

"Well you should feel special then, shouldn't you?" Brittany answered with a smirk. "Now let's go catch that movie. Don't worry, no one will see us."

"And why do you want to hang out with me all of a sudden?" Santana asked raising her eyebrow in question. "You had no intention before now."

The blonde shrugged her shoulders. "You seem pretty cool."

"The real reason."

Brittany sighed. "You have a secret, Santana. I didn't know this until tonight and you showed me that you have a vulnerable side. I like that. "

"How come?" Santana asked whilst they walked out of the house towards the street. "How does being vulnerable change things?"

"Because that's how I feel every day." Brittany whispered putting her hands in her pockets walking towards the centre of town."You better not tell anyone."

Santana nodded her head. "Your secret is safe with me."

Nudging Santana's shoulder with her own, Brittany reverted her gaze to the girl beside her. "Okay, no tears from now on. This night is about seeing a cool movie and enjoying ourselves. No tears, no sadness."

"I can do that," Santana responded biting her lip. "Is this..is this a date?"

Brittany's eyes widened. "What? No. No, this is just...just two friends seeing a movie."

"Which is basically a date."

"Well, do you...do you want this to be a...d-date?"

Blushing, Santana's gaze went to her feet. "Do you?"

"I asked you first."

The two girls stopped in the middle of the street, looking at one another. Was this really happening? A date? The both of them hadn't known each other very long and now there was a possibility of their friendship turning romantic. Were they honestly ready for that? To be official? Well, tonight was definitely going to give them both the answers they need.

"I'm in if you are," Santana stated holding her hand out.

Pressing her lips together, Brittany took the Latina's hand shaking it with a small smile. Unbeknown to each girl, they both felt sparks shoot up their arms pulling back quickly. Brittany rubbed her neck nervously whilst Santana shuffled her feet looking at the ground.

"I'm in. I know a place."


	10. Ten

Dates are generally overrated. Everyone usually ends up the same. Dinner. Movie. Kiss at the end of the night. Either from there the couple go into the honeymoon stage or one of them finds a way to never see that person again. Well, usually it ends that way, however, there are exceptions. The fact is, when you think about it logically, every person you date is either going to be the rose you are looking for or just another thorn in the way. Sad really, but it is true. That theory was most likely why a lot of people give up since they allow these people (the thorns) stop them from looking for that perfect rose. Yes, some people may go through their life and never find Mr. or Mrs. right but that doesn't mean anyone should give up. It's as though all these people are saying to themselves: 'my life isn't what I wanted but I'll just have to deal with that'. No, that wasn't the way life should go. Life should be glorious and wonderful. No one ever notices what a privilege it is just to be living; no one ever stops to smell the roses as it were and allows life to just pass by. The biggest regret anyone will have when they are older is not experiencing life the way they should have when they were young, which includes dating and getting heartbroken every now and then. As a matter of fact getting your heart broken just makes you stronger, and helps you realize what kind of person you were dating. Also, it pushes you another step in the right direction and makes you realize what kind of person you want as your life long partner. Some people take years to find this soul mate, however, some are lucky enough to find them young. They get to experience life with that one person and grow with them. It's pretty amazing at the end of the day. Love is amazing.

Now let's look at time currently. Most couples. or teenagers, sit at the back of a movie theatre so they can make out with their date but this date was different. Just sat side by side was enough. Brittany and Santana had chosen seats in the middle of the theatre so they had the best view. Well, it wasn't exactly a theatre as much to a screen being shown at the community park. A lot of people had turned up as a matter of fact but the good thing was it wasn't a well-known movie. Yes, there were a few people from school but every single one of them were from Glee Club so neither girl thought too much into it. It wasn't as though any of them would say a thing anyway. Plus Brittany is pretty sure the Glee Club was about acceptance so if they didn't accept gay relationships then something was definitely wrong there. Didn't that Rachel girl have two gay dads or something? If anything she would be the one driving the equality train right over the rainbow to happy town. Still, the girl annoyed the fuck out of her and she knew for a fact Santana was annoyed by her too. She was just a short annoying stack of pancakes. Well not pancakes since she actually liked pancakes, so maybe a short stack of sticks? Whatever, why was she even thinking about her right now? Santana was sat beside her with her head in her shoulder. It made her heart thump hard against her chest as though it was going to burst out of her chest and share her feelings with the rest of the park. Wow, that sounded totally gay.

Brittany felt a finger trace the side of her hand which was leant on the blanket. She looked down subtly noticing Santana's pinkie moving up the side of her hand, but it didn't look like Santana was even aware she was doing it. Either that or she was trying to get her attention, which definitely worked. It made her hand go all tingly, however, that could be the fact she had been leaning on it for a while now and her hand was starting to cramp slightly. She still liked the feeling though and the movie wasn't that bad actually. It was about this friendship between a man and a woman who have known each other for a long time but have to deal with obstacles when they have to be apart in life. It was really cheesy and, obviously, they were totally secretly digging each other. How clique was this movie? Brittany hated it how they always made male and female best friends fall in love in movies. Like, can't a man and a woman just be friends or something? Of course, they could. She knew a fair few best friends who were male and female and didn't have romantic feelings for each other. Well, there was the fact that she had a lot of gay friends, however, it could totally happen! Stupid movie. And why were all these about straight couples? She was totally bisexual, but they needed more movies about gay couples. You know, diversity and all that shebang.

Looking around Brittany noticed so many couples, but that wasn't all she saw. Friends, families and even a few people sat and stood around with their pets. Wait, was that girl actually - okay no, let's look away from that area of the park.

"How are you liking all this?" Brittany asked turning her head back to focus on the girl beside her. "Is this okay?"

She watched the Latina press her lips together as though trying to figure out an answer before she looked back in her direction with a smile, nodding her head.

"I like it. It's a lovely area and it's not as though people from school come here, well aside from the Glee Club, since it's on the outskirts. You've done pretty well considering you had to think of somewhere last minute." Santana answered with their eyes connecting whilst they spoke. "Thank you for bringing me here."

Brittany smiled relieved that she had done a good job. "You're welcome, Santana."

She knew that it was only the first date but it was the main one everyone remembers. Whenever any couple, married or just dating, is asked about their first date it tends to be positive and that was what she wanted. She definitely wanted it when it came to Santana. She's special and Brittany didn't want to screw it up. For one; she was shocked it even be here. She didn't expect them to even be on a date but here they were. Sat in close proximity watching a movie in the community park together, along with a majority of other couples. She actually felt comfortable without worrying about what else was going on in her life and that was a first. All she cared about right now was Santana and making sure she had a good time. She knew they should be watching the movie right now but all Brittany could focus on was the girl next to her. She looked beautiful. She was that focused on Santana she didn't notice how Santana had scooted closer to her. She was only brought out of her daze when a caramel skin toned hand rested on her cheek, stroking the skin on her cheek softly. Brittany came back to reality and smiled gazing into the girl's chocolate brown eyes.

"Hi," Brittany whispered.

Santana smiled. "Hey."

Not being able to stop herself, Brittany leaned in slowly, stopping before her lips touched the Latina's just so she could see her reaction; it was perfect. Her breath was starting to quicken and her eyes were closed in anticipation. They do say the best things in life happen with your eyes closed after all. Smiling, Brittany leaned the rest of the way in pressing her lips against Santana's. Fireworks began to go off in her head once again. The way Santana's lips felt against hers was just...magical. She loved the way they felt. Soft. Supple. She felt her heart pounding against her chest as though it was going to beat its way out. Her fingers were starting to tingle and she knew she didn't want to stop. She wanted this girl and even though she had tried to resist, she couldn't any longer. Santana Lopez made her weak at the knees but did she mind? Maybe, but not at this moment. Right now all that mattered were the way their lips fit together perfectly. They moved in perfect sync when Brittany tilted her head a little kissing her a little bit deeper, however, she kept the slow pace. It felt a lot more passionate than it actually was but Brittany enjoyed it that way.

Slowly, Brittany pushed the Latina onto her back hovering over her slightly. Her legs and feet were to the side of Santana's body whereas her arms were rested beside her head allowing her to stroke her cheek gently. She felt Santana's hand rest on her hip whilst her other hand rested at the nape of her neck. She shivered when she felt Santana's fingertips trace over her skin. How did one person make her feel so alive? The kiss was taking her breath away but she didn't care. Brittany enjoyed the feel of Santana's lips moving against hers in a slow manner. She wanted to enjoy the kiss instead of allowing it to get fast because once it gets to that point you tend to go further and with what has happened to her in the past, she couldn't allow that to happen. When she was Isla it took around six months before she even considered getting naked in front of her. She always felt dirty, but now that wasn't happening anymore she felt a lot cleaner, however, that definitely didn't mean she would be rushing into anything. God sake, why does her mind always turn to sex? It always freaks her out making everything worse.

Brittany pulled away slightly looking down at Santana with a smile. She was such a beautiful person and not just on the outside either. She had seen the vulnerability and saw some of who she used to be inside Santana. How she had a tough exterior which was shown to the public but inside, deep inside, she was just like everyone else. Scared. Scared of the judgment from other people. Terrified that other people will find out what was actually going on in your personal life. That they will find out the truth about who you are. Brittany related to that which was why she connected with Santana so much. She wasn't just a beautiful person, she was more than that. Much more.

"What is it?" Santana asked moving her hands up to the back of the blonde's neck before running her fingers up through her blonde locks. "What are you thinking about?"

Shaking her head, Brittany brushed her lips against Santana's. "It's nothing important. I'm just glad we are here together."

Laying back down on the blanket, Brittany pulled Santana against her body, wrapping her arms around her with a smile when she felt Santana's hand rested on her stomach. Why did it feel so wrong to be here with someone she cared so deeply for? Why did she have this nagging feeling in the back of her mind telling her to stop before they got too invested? Why was she still allowing Jason to ruin her life? He had ruined one relationship, but Brittany was not about to allow him to ruin another one. There was also the fact that she had so many secrets she was keeping from Santana already. How can she base a relationship on lies? She already had to lie to pretty much everyone when they asked about why she moved to Lima. Everyone believed she lived with her parents which, clearly, wasn't true. At least she could visit her mother but it was only a matter of time before Jason discovered they had transferred her to Lima which meant he would find her. The thought terrified her every single day. But could she do anything? No. She had to sit back and wait. Wait for Jason to find her and ruin her life once again. It wouldn't take him long either.

Brittany looked up at the stars noticing how beautiful they looked. It was strange though because the stars were most likely a million years old. She remembered her grandpa telling her when she was younger that looking at a star means looking back in time since the light from the star takes millions of years to reach Earth itself. Quite extraordinary actually. Right now she was looking back in time and it was amazing. Well, it was. Santana had another idea.

"Do you want to...go somewhere quieter?" Santana asked, running her fingers through Brittany's hair. "Somewhere we can be alone?"

Brittany wanted more than anything to say no but she knew that was not going to happen. Santana made her feel a lot of things at once which she couldn't explain. She took one look at Santana before nodding. The brunette grinned pulling her up from the blanket walking away from the park. The fact that they were holding hands made her feel speechless. She hadn't allowed herself to feel this good in so long so the fact that she was said a lot about how she felt. They walked away from the huge group of people in the park which were watching the movie and stopped when they came to a quiet area in front of a pond. A duck had even shown up swimming around happily. Ducks were just amazing. So cute that you could just pick one up and cuddle them. Well, maybe not that but something along those lines.

"Why did you want to be alone with me?" Brittany asked, raising her eyebrow. Who would want to be alone with someone like her? She put up this wall to not let anyone in, but somehow she had allowed this gorgeous brunette to break them down. Why?

"Ever since I figured out I was gay I've never had anyone to...prove that I was." Santana began taking Brittany's hands in her own. "I've seen other girls around school and thought they were hot, however, I've not had anyone to kiss to prove that. I've wanted that confirmation so I knew for sure who I was."

Brittany really did feel for the girl. There was nothing worse than not knowing who you are since it makes life a lot harder. All you want to do is find yourself. Find who the real you is without anyone telling you who you should be. Brittany was lucky in that sense since her mother always encouraged her to be herself. Jason never helped. Brittany took one hand away before reaching up to cup the Latina's cheek, stroking it softly.

"You don't need a label to know who you are," Brittany said, leaning in kissing Santana softly. "I know who you are."

"How?" Santana whispered, her hands on the blonde's arms whilst their foreheads rested against one another. "How do you know who I am?"

"Because I've watched you and how you perceive yourself. You're a lot more than what you think you are." Brittany explained, brushing Santana's hair out of her face. "I know because I've gotten to know you over the past few weeks. It's why I'm here with you now."

Brittany didn't let Santana get another word in before she cupped the girl's cheeks kissing her. Santana's hands went to grip the blonde's waist whilst their lips were pressed up against each other. The girls both saw fireworks when they kissed, and even though fireworks were dangerous, in this sense it was a good thing. Brittany felt safe around Santana which was the reason behind why she wanted this. She needed Santana in her life to feel safe. Secure. No one else made her feel this way. She knew she needed to stay away, but she couldn't. The way Santana's lips felt against her own explained everything. This girl was the reason she moved to Lima. She came to run away from something but found the one person she had been looking for. If there was one moment Brittany would say changed her life, it would be the day she met Santana. She had no idea of the impact this girl would have on her life - she had no regrets about it whatsoever. The way Santana felt, smelt and tasted had Brittany's head spinning. She couldn't think straight. She pulled back looking into her brown eyes. She saw how much want was in them. Brittany smiled.

"I think you know what you want, Santana," Brittany said. "You know because I can see it in your eyes. You want what I do."

"Which is?"

Brittany chuckled pulling Santana against her own body brushing her nose against the Latina's. "This."

Observing a person can tell you a lot which was how Brittany knew Santana was about to kiss her, allowing her to prepare. It took around ten seconds of waiting before Santana flung her arms around Brittany's neck kissing her, whilst Brittany's arms went around her waist. Their kiss wasn't passionate. There were no tongues or saliva exchanged. Just mouths moving with one another. Brittany smelt Santana's perfume which was driving her crazy, in addition to the cherry lip gloss she was wearing. That moment would have been just perfect if a few lads in the distance hadn't wolf whistled. She pulled back looking at the lads which were smirking. Obviously, they just found this hot and a turn on. God, Brittany just wanted to punch them to wipe the smirk off their faces.

"You wanna come over here and do that in front of me?" Brittany growled, holding Santana against her. "I dare you."

Santana brought her hand up to Brittany's cheek, pulling her gaze away from the lads to look at her. "Hey. Just ignore them. They aren't worth it."

"I hate when people do that," Brittany mumbled. "We're not a show for them to watch and gawk at."

Smiling, Santana kissed the blonde softly. "I know. You'll get to show me off one day."

"I know," Brittany responded wrapping her arms around Santana, kissing her temple. "You know I'll never pressure you. I'll wait as long as you need. We all have secrets."

Santana nodded before taking Brittany's hand. "You're right, you know?"

"About what?" Brittany asked.

"About us wanting the same thing. I do want you, I'm just scared."Santana whispered looking at the floor in shame. "I don't want you to ever think I'm ashamed of you because I'm not. I just-"

Brittany kissed her straight away. She didn't want to hear Santana talk negatively since she knew she wasn't comfortable with who she was yet and that was completely fine. Some people can accept themselves straight away whereas other people take longer. It depends on the person and the situation they are in. Brittany would never ask more of Santana than she was capable of giving.

"Shh, I don't want that negativity from you. You take your time at accepting yourself. I would never ask something from you that I knew you weren't capable of offering. I was lucky when I found out who I was because my mother always encouraged me to be happy with who I am, but if you aren't then that's okay. Your family probably don't even know yet."

Santana bit her lip nervously. "No, they don't. My younger brother, Jonah, does, though. I explained that I like girls instead of boys and he accepted me completely. My Abuela doesn't talk to me anymore which is affecting him. She found out my sexuality and doesn't accept it. He shouldn't be ignored by her because of me."

"Sexuality isn't a choice, which is what a lot of people don't understand." Brittany began, taking Santana's hand moving to the bench they were standing beside. "I don't know a lot of gay people, but the ones I do know all say the same thing. They might not be like everyone else, but what fun would life be if everyone was the same? Your grandmother might not accept who you are, but if she doesn't, is she really worth it?"

The blonde watched the Latina go into thought whilst she traced her fingers over her back. It must be awful not being accepted by a family member. She didn't know what that felt like since all of her family accepted her. She knew being bisexual was a bit different to being a lesbian, however, it still came under the same grounds. Santana dropped her head onto her shoulder, allowing Brittany to wrap her arm around the small Latina. She could only imagine what Santana was going through since it wasn't a surprise when she found out she liked girls. All her life she had noticed girls in the same way she did boys which made things clear when she began to have crushes on other girls in school. She was never ashamed and whenever she did struggle, she spoke to her mother who put everything into perspective. Well, that was until Jason came along. She had to go and see her mother again at some point during the week.

"She's not worth it, but that upsets me," Santana mumbled, taking Brittany's hand. "I want her to love me."

Brittany sighed, nodding before kissing Santana's head. "I know, baby."

The couple turned to look at the pond in front of them. Brittany understood how hard it could be for someone not to love you. She had never experienced it herself, however, when she was with Isla she remembers being told about her ex-girlfriend's father not accepting her. It meant she hadn't been able to go over a lot of the time, but it was usually alright since they just went to hers. Brittany's mother never had a problem with who she liked since the way she explained it was, 'you can't control who you fall in love with'. Brittany had gone by her mother's advice on a number of occasions to help her through a lot of things. It wasn't only that advice she had given to help her but everything she got told was helpful. Since Brittany's mother wasn't well the only way Brittany could keep her around was by being the daughter she would be proud of. Yes, maybe running isn't something she would have done, but it was to protect herself. If she was proud of anything she did for herself, it would be that. She may be frightened sometimes, but at least she wasn't around the man now. Brittany was able to live the life she wanted to some extent.

Getting her mind away from Jason, Brittany stood up pulling the Latina with her. A date is supposed to be something you remember and Brittany wanted Santana to remember it. Giving the girl a great first date was Brittany's plan so since they weren't at the movie anymore, a walk would be the next thing. Plus, walks could be romantic which, in Brittany's opinion, was a bonus. They could be alone together without any interruptions. Well, sort of. A walk still meant being around other people depending on where you went.

"Come on. Let's walk for a bit." Brittany suggested, tugging Santana in the direction of the path, which the other girl accepted. "It will take your mind off your grandmother," Brittany added.

"Thank you," Santana said, with gratitude. "I need to take my mind away from her."

Brittany kissed Santana's temple. "I understand. There are so many things I need to take my mind away from. Distracting myself is difficult at times."

"What do you need to distract yourself from?" Santana asked.

"Is life an answer?" Brittany questioned with a chuckle. "Seriously, though, I've just got a lot of stuff going on. I wish I could tell you but everything I've got on my mind is personal. I'm not ready to talk just yet."

"That's completely fine. Not everyone is open about their feelings."

Brittany nodded. "Very true. I'm just very reserved. I apologize in advance if that will be a problem."

"I'll just be here for when you need someone," Santana said, kissing Brittany's hand. "I just want to be here for you in any way I can."

"You have been since we met," Brittany whispered, before biting her lip looking at the girl. "I don't live with my parents, Santana."

Santana glanced at her date. "You don't? Why did you say you did then?

"I know some people would have asked questions so I tell people I live with them," Brittany explained. "I didn't want to lie to you, I just - I thought you'd ask more questions if I told you. I live with my grandfather."

Santana nodded her head. That definitely made a lot more sense from what she saw of Brittany's house. "That actually makes sense. Your house looked quite antique from what I saw of it."

Chuckling, Brittany nodded. "My grandpa ha a lot of old stuff. He's cool though and I think you'll like him."

"I will?" Santana questioned. "You want me to meet him?"

After taking a deep breath, Brittany nodded once again. "I do. He's important to me and you are too. You guys meeting will definitely make me happy."

"Then it'll happen," Santana said stopping in the middle of the walkway, before taking Brittany's other hand. "I want to make you happy because you make me happy."

"Good because I want to make you happy," Brittany responded pulling the girl closer. "Every day I'm with you, you make me want you even more. I didn't want to move here and fall for someone, but then I saw you and I just - I couldn't keep away."

"No?" Santana questioned, seeing the blonde shake her head which caused a smile to form on her face. "Well, I wouldn't want you to stay away. Quinn never understood why I wanted to be around you, neither did I actually, but I knew I wanted to know more about you."

"Well, that failed because I've not told you a lot," Brittany said with a small laugh. "Like I said, I'm very reserved."

"That doesn't matter to me. You called me when you had a nightmare, you're hanging out with me and you wanted this date." Santana went on. "You not telling me everything about your life isn't important. What is important is how you feel about me and what you think about me. Yeah, that is important to me believe it or not."

"What do I think about you?" Brittany asked, with a smirk on her face. "Well I think you are beautiful, you care about your friends and family, a little bit scared about how people see you but overall you are an amazing human being and you are perfect the way you are. I wouldn't change a thing about you."

"Really? You wouldn't change a thing?"

Brittany looked at the girl with a serious but loving expression on her face. "I am being completely honest. I wouldn't change a thing because you are the most perfect person I've ever met."

"You don't mean that."

"I'm being dead serious. I've met other girls in my life but you - you're spectacular." Brittany stated with a loving smile. "Don't ever think bad about yourself."

Brittany looked at the Latina and couldn't believe the way Santana was trying to make herself look. She was perfect and, as much as she didn't want to say it, she was better than her ex. Santana Lopez had looked perfect sine they met and if it wasn't for the continuous efforts of the girl, she wouldn't be talking to anyone. Brittany knew if Santana hadn't been so insistent, she would be in her room all the time - well, aside from school. Even though Brittany and Santana we're together now, the whole situation still made Brittany nervous. The way Santana made Brittany feel was...well, indescribable. She hadn't felt this good since Isla and that had to say something. To be totally honest, Brittany's feelings for Isla weren't this strong. All throughout the day, Santana was on her mind then when she went to sleep she ended up dreaming about the girl. That had to say something, right?

Before the blonde could say anything else, Santana pulled her into a passionate kiss. Their lips were pressed hard together before Brittany cupped Santana's neck, softening the kiss. She tilted her head deepening it, moving their lips together. Brittany pulled the Latina tightly against her, with her hands on her lower back whilst Santana's arms were wrapped around her waist. Brittany slowly but sneakily slipped her hands into Santana's back pockets causing Santana to gasp in surprise. The reaction made Brittany smile but t allowed her to slide her tongue into Santana's mouth deepening it even further. Brittany's tongue explored Santana's mouth thoroughly before slowing the kiss down, allowing their tongues to dance together within the Latina's mouth. Neither girl cared about their surroundings, only about each other.

In Brittany's opinion, Santana was the perfect height. She wasn't too small that she had to bend down to kiss her, but she wasn't taller than her so she had to be the one to have her head tilted back. Santana was small enough to tuck her face into the crook her neck which was perfect. She loved a girl burying her face into her neck when they cuddled. Well, it wasn't always cuddling, nevertheless, she preferred to be taller. Anyhow, since she moved here her dress sense had changed considerably. Brittany's clothes had gone from cheerleader to some sort of badass chick. She looked pretty sexy actually. Brittany would be lying if she said she hadn't seen people look at her differently. A lot of people, especially freshman, looked at her as though she was about to turn around and pin them to the locker. She definitely wasn't the type of person to do that since she was too nice, however, seeing people intimidated by her definitely caused her to think. Maybe this was a good thing since it meant they wouldn't try and talk to her. Well, most people wouldn't.

Moving her hand to Santana's neck, Brittany pulled the girl's hair band out running her fingers through her hair. Damn, it was so soft. Their kiss slowly diminished before coming to an end. The two girls were panting before their foreheads rested together. Brittany cupped the girl's neck whilst catching her breath. Shit, how did one kiss make her feel so good? She didn't usually get turned on whilst kissing. It was definitely a first for the blonde, however, she wasn't about to admit it. Another thing to add to the list of things this girl was good at.

"You kissed a lot of guys?" Brittany asked, pulling back slightly. "Your kisses are hot."

Santana shrugged. "I don't kiss and tell."

"I hope you don't because I do not want your friends finding out about this kiss.." Brittany responded with a laugh. "It was too hot to share."

"Definitely," Santana said, tracing her fingers up and down Brittany's arms. "You've kissed girls before, right?"

"I don't kiss and tell," Brittany said, repeating what Santana said with a wink. "You're my favorite kissing partner, though."

Santana blushed. "Thank you, because you're my favorite too."

Brittany and Santana looked at one another. It was as though they were the only ones in the park since neither one of them took notice of their surroundings. Brittany, in particular, let her mind drift away from her life just to be with this girl. She didn't want anyone else around right now. All that mattered was the both of them. Biting her lip, Brittany broke the gaze.

"Come on. I better take you home."

The two girls made their way from the park holding hands, however, once they got closer to Lima, Santana let go. Brittany knew Santana wasn't comfortable with the entire situation around Lima, which she completely understood. For someone of Santana's social status, going out on a date with a female would not be considered a good thing. It might be for Santana herself, however, for anyone else it would be considered social suicide. Brittany had discovered that people in Lima were definitely not comfortable with gay people. It was really sad too because being with someone you love is a human right. Why should someone dictate who you can and can't be with? There is no reason why two men or two women can't be together. Damn, sometimes Brittany can't help but get irritated at close minded human beings.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at Santana's - well, mainly due to Santana leading the way since the last time Brittany went to hers was the night of the party. It was only an address which she had typed into the Sat-Nav. It still looked quite large from the outside from what she remembers - not that she remembers much. Being the one who asked Santana to come out with her, Brittany made the decision to walk Santana to her door. She wanted to make a good impression after all.

"Here we are." Brittany began motioning to her door before rubbing the back of her neck. "I hope you had a good time."

"I did. Thank you for all of this, Brittany." Santana smiled before leaning in kissing the blonde's cheek. "Text me when you're home, okay?"

Brittany was about to respond when the door swung open and a young Latino boy ran out with a grin on his face. Santana turned around chuckling. This must be her brother, Jonah. He was wearing his pajamas whilst his hair looked wet. He must have gotten out of the shower recently.

"Tana!" Jonah cheered before hugging her around the waist tightly. "I missed you."

Santana chuckled hugging him back. "I missed you too, hermano. Shouldn't you be getting to bed?"

A blonde appeared at the door looking out of breath. Brittany chuckled folding her arms when she saw it was Quinn Fabray. She had seen her around school a number of times with Santana. This must be her best friend.

"Sorry, Santana. I tried t get him to bed on time but he is quite energetic." Quinn panted running her fingers through her hair. "Hey, Brittany."

Brittany shuffled her feet uncomfortably. "I should - I'll see you later, Santana."

Brittany kissed Santana's cheek before making her way off the property. For some reason talking to people she didn't know wasn't a good point for her. Strangers just made the blonde uncomfortable, however, if there was one thing Brittany was certain of, it was Santana liked her. She knew the risks behind being around the Latina, nevertheless, she got to go on a date. They might not be together officially but their date was definitely stuck in her mind. It was one she would put in her journal too. Memories need to be preserved after all. Smiling to herself, Brittany made her way back home, unbeknown to a pair of eyes looking at her from the shadows.


	11. Eleven

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Glee**

 **WARNING: Brittany being sexually assaulted happens in this chapter so, please, if you are uncomfortable with that ignore the flashback**

 **Hey, guys! Thank you so much for all the positive responses! I love how much positivity I've gotten so far in regards to the story and my writing. I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far but this does have a warning on the chapter so don't just ignore it. Please follow, favourite and review if you haven't already done so!**

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Since the date the two girls had, Brittany had been hanging around the Latina a lot more than usual. She enjoyed the feeling of having someone caring about her - she got to keep tabs on her during school hours too. They may not talk as much during school, nevertheless, they still snuck in a few closet kisses throughout the day. The only person, to her knowledge, that knew about the two of them was Quinn. Santana mentioned telling her best friend about them which Brittany accepted. To be honest, she just took it as Santana needing someone else to talk to about them aside from only her. Brittany just wrote in her journal about what they did as though she had some kind of friend, even though she knew she didn't. Brittany didn't come to Lima to make friends and she stood by that. School was the main priority and she did well in it too. When Santana did come over they did some studying together - well, before they both ended up making out on her bed. What do you expect? It's literally the only place they could go since Santana's parents didn't know she was gay. It didn't bother Brittany in the slightest since having Santana around made her feel more at ease.

Lately, Brittany had felt as though she was being watched closely. She couldn't put her finger on it but it's as though wherever she goes, someone was there watching every step she took. She couldn't report it since there was no proof of it happening, which meant going to the police station would be a complete waste of time. What else was she supposed to do? Brittany tried her best to keep the insecurities at bay but even Santana had noticed her strange behavior at late. As much as talking to Santana would help, she was not stupid enough to get the Latina involved. Some people probably would but Brittany knew better - she knew how to protect her friends and family. Jason was a dangerous man and bringing the girl she really liked into her life was about as risky as she was going to get. Santana was the one person she cared about more than anyone - aside from her grandfather and mother of course. To Brittany, family meant something and even though Jason supposedly joined their unit, Brittany didn't accept him. Family don't hurt each other the way he did - she knew forgiveness was never going to be an option. The scars she had now wouldn't go away, but Brittany was aware of that.

The blonde haired woman was currently sat at her desk writing in her journal. It was the one thing in her life that wouldn't judge her no matter what was written inside. Personal privacy is important in a teenage girl's life, which explains why Brittany kept it hidden. Plus, it wasn't as though the journal was her only one - it was just her current one. The desk in her room was placed underneath the window which, to Brittany, meant she could keep an eye on anything outside. In her mind, she could keep her eye out for Jason or his friends. Yes, the older man had friends which probably knew what he had done. Why wouldn't they? He seemed the type of man who would brag about something of that sorts. Brittany looked down reading over what she had written.

April 29th, 2014

 _My date with Santana happened over two weeks ago and I couldn't be happier, I felt safe - cared for when she is around. I want to kiss her all the time and feel her body against mine. I know she is still in the closet and I will wait forever if it means I get to have her to myself. She is stunning. Gorgeous. Beautiful doesn't even accurately describe the Latina. She is perfect and I know she's the one I've been waiting for. She's the one who is going to save me, I just know it. I haven't opened up to anyone nearly a fraction as much as have her. She's everything to me and I want to keep her safe. Jason won't touch her I swear down. When she's around my mind clears and I can't think straight. I want her around me all the time and I would if it wasn't going to look suspicious. I had a feeling Quinn knew about us too. Well, Santana did tell me Quinn knew she was a lesbian. At least one of her friends knows. She has some support since I know from personal experience how hard figuring out who you are is. I would never pressure someone to come out because when she wants to, she will. There is no point in pushing them since they have more of a chance of retreating back to hiding at some point. As long as it's only me Santana is kissing, I'll wait for as long as she needs._

Brittany felt arms go around her shoulders and a number of soft kisses were placed on her pale neck. Brittany bit her bottom lip, fighting the grin which had begun to form but it was impossible. She tilted her head back to see black hair surrounding that beautiful face she always dreamt about. Brittany smiled, pulling the black haired girl down into a kiss. Their lips met in a gentle kiss whilst they both smiled into it. Well, at least it wasn't only Brittany who got really happy. Brittany caused happiness within Santana which, on its own, caused Brittany's body to warm up a little. She's glad she's able to make the Latina smile because all Brittany wants is Santana to be happy. She deserves all the happiness in the world.

"Hey, beautiful." The blonde whispers, tracing her fingers over Santana's cheek. "I feel as though I'm dreaming but I can never touch you in my dreams so this must be a reality."

She giggles kissing Brittany once again before moving to sit on her bed allowing me to sit up properly. Brittany turns to face the bed closing her journal whilst keeping her blonde eyes on the beauty before her. How did Santana make her heart beat the way it did? How can one person cause so much happiness within you? Brittany hadn't figured out the answer just yet but she's determined to find out.

"You are definitely not dreaming," Santana assures, putting her hand on Brittany's knee. "I decided to come and see you since I don't usually do much on weekends and what better way to spend a Saturday than with you?"

Having Santana in her bedroom was a big deal. Not only could the Latina see who she was as a person, but there were some intimate things in here and even though she had been here before, that didn't matter. The both of them were about to hang out in her room and Santana was bound to ask questions. Who wouldn't? Isla did the same thing the first time she invited her round. Santana is different, though - Brittany really cares about the girl and, if she was being completely honest, she was worried about letting slip about her past life. For years the walls protecting herself had been raised high, but Santana managed to break them down bit by bit and it scared her. Why wouldn't it? The minute Santana found out about what Jason did, she would run for the hills and Brittany didn't blame her. It disgusted her too - she even took longer showers on a daily basis.

"Hmm - you could go to the cinema with a friend or go shopping," Brittany suggested, earning a disapproving look from Santana. "Alright, you're right. I couldn't ask for anything better than spending the afternoon with you."

"I thought so." Santana whispered, kissing the blonde softly."It's weird being around you without my cheerleading outfit on."

Brittany noticed that too - moving from the chair to the bed. The blonde sat behind Santana taking the jacket throwing it onto the chair. "Well, I like this look. Very casual - it suits you."

Santana laughs softly. "Oh yeah? You don't like the cheerleader look?"

Brittany leant back to lay on the bed with her arm above her head. "No, I love the cheerleader look. To me though you always look gorgeous, no matter whether you're wearing your uniform or something like this."

Leaning her hand on the bed beside Brittany's legs, Santana smiled in her direction. "You always know what to say to make me feel special."

"You are special, Santana. I knew that the moment we met."

"Really?" Santana asked, moving to lay beside the blonde on the bed. "How did you know?"

Brittany moved her arms around the smaller woman. "I just saw you and thought - damn, this girl is something else."

Chuckling, Santana cuddled herself into the blonde, sliding an arm around her waist whilst resting her head into the crook of Brittany's neck. She hadn't cuddled with a girl before so it was certainly different. "You're comfy."

"I do try to make myself comfortable in case small Latina's want to join me for a cuddle session." Brittany teased, kissing Santana's head. "Honestly, I'm glad you're comfortable."

"I always am around you," Santana admits, tracing her fingers up and down Brittany's side. "You keep me calm."

Brittany couldn't help but smile at her comment. Making sure Santana was comfortable had to be her main priority since it was hard enough Santana trying to figure out who she was. With them both living in Lima where everyone judges each other, it was hard to be yourself. She knew Santana wanted to be herself but in small towns, it was difficult to do. Brittany got the lucky end of the stick since she grew up in Phoenix and no one gave a damn who anyone was - in Lima, it's a completely different story. She really does feel for people who grew up here - Brittany knew if she had, she wouldn't be the person she is today. Yeah maybe things would be different, but she would never know. Maybe things would be better? Or would they be worse? Who knew? Brittany wasn't a fortune teller - why are they even called fortune tellers? It sounds like someone who is going to help you make money or something.

"I'm glad I do because you keep being safe," Brittany confessed, smiling at the black haired woman. "I love being around you."

Santana smiled before kissing the blonde - her fingers trailing under Brittany's top slightly. "I love being around you too."

Brittany shivered before rolling on top of the Latina kissing the woman deeper. She didn't get how she was getting aroused already but that's how she felt without being able to control herself. She knew it would be a while before she allowed Santana to hover over her since she knew Jason would be the only person who came to mind whether she liked it or not. It wouldn't even matter if she was thinking of Santana - her mind always goes to Jason in sexual situations in fear that it might happen again. She didn't think Santana wasn't going to hurt her but never say never as they say.

Brittany deepened the kiss wanting to taste Santana - yeah, she tasted good and her lips were so soft against hers. The way their lips and tongues moved it was as though they were doing some sort of dance - a passionate one of course. Brittany was doing pretty well at keeping her body hovered above the other girl's until Santana pulled her body against her own. Brittany pulled back slightly to take Santana's bottom lip between her own sucking on it earning a quiet moan from Santana. The sound went straight to Brittany's core - how did she cause these feelings inside her? She couldn't control her body clearly which was the cause of her arousal - Brittany's went back to kissing Santana's lips full on not wanting to waste a minute of their time alone. The kiss wasn't passionate or rushed in any way shape or form - it was just gentle and soft just the way Santana deserved it. She decided that with Santana she wanted to make sure she knew how much she cared about her - passionate and rushed kissing would never show Santana how much Brittany cared. Brittany was different to other girls - she actually gave a damn about how her partner feels and didn't want to rush them. It was the same when she dated Isla - it was always about what she wanted. After being abused by Jason she always swore to never turn into someone like him. Brittany was better than that.

"You feel good." Santana pulled away to whisper to the blonde. "I've not had that much experience or anything, but you always manage to take my breath away."

Brittany grinned. "Well, I'm glad I'm a good kissing partner for you."

"Damn straight." Santana breathed, causing Brittany to laugh. "You're amazing, Brittany. I don't know why you're here - I'm just glad you are."

Kissing the black haired woman once, Brittany eased back into the bed once more holding Santana whilst she did. When did she become so lucky? Even though Lima was a risky move, it definitely wasn't one she regretted.

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When Brittany's grandfather woke her up in the middle of the night to say her mother was awake, she didn't believe it at first. Why would she be awake already? How could this be possible? It didn't take long after laying in bed for ten minutes processing everything for Brittany to jump up and follow her grandfather to the hospital. Maybe this was one of her dreams and she would be awoken by someone shortly. Well, may as well enjoy the dream whilst it lasts. Santana had gone home earlier that day and as much as she wanted to text the Latina, she couldn't. In excitement, it was possible she could message the wrong person and everything would go wrong. Brittany just wanted to see her mother's eyes open for herself so she could believe it all to be true. She was not going to believe something huge just because her grandfather told her. It's definitely debatable on whether a person believes something just because they are told by a family member - Brittany thinks contrarily. You should only believe another person's statement when it is proven to be authentic.

Walking into the hospital instantly made Brittany nervous. Due to not being a huge fan of the buildings, it caused anxiety to flare up. What if it was a dream and something was going to wake her up? She needed her mother back so getting excited now was an inadequate concept. It wouldn't help her in the slightest. Nevertheless, her grandfather was going to reception - the whole scene in itself looked existent which had to be commendable. Her mother had to make herself known yet before the whole concept would be real in her eyes. Brittany watched her grandfather walk back in her direction.

"A doctor is going to come out shortly to speak to the both of us before taking us to your mother." John explained."I don't want you getting your hopes up, kleindochter. Your mother might be awake but we have no idea of the impact the accident may have caused."

Brittany shoved her hands into her jacket pockets. "Ik weet. I just need to see her awake and alive. She's been in this state for too long and the sooner she gets better, the quicker our lives will get back to before."

"Back to Phoenix?" John questioned, with a small look of disappointment on his face.

Brittany shook her head instantly putting a hand on her grandfather's shoulder. "We're staying in Lima, Opa. My life is here and I'm not going back to Phoenix whether she wants me to or not."

With a smile, John hugged his granddaughter before pulling away once the doctor walked in their direction. The two Pierce's looked at the doctor in hope of some good news. Well, they called them here for a reason, right?

"I apologize for pulling you out this late but this is some kind of miracle I can assure the both of you." The doctor began with his hands in his coat pocket. "We didn't expect Mrs Pierce to wake up."

"Well aren't you just a joyful lot," Brittany grumbled looking at the floor. "Can we go and see her?"

The doctor looked at them both holding the clipboard, which Brittany assumed was her mother's chart, against his body. He seemed to be avoiding her question which meant it couldn't be good. Great - it was probably memory loss or something.

"They are just doing tests on Whitney as we speak, then you can go see her as long as everything goes well." The doctor explained."I will warn you in advance that coma patients usually wake up very agitated and confused about their surroundings. It's been two years since Whitney was last conscious. You might need to remind her about a few things."

The two Pierce's nodded before looking into Whitney's room whilst she gets checked over by the other doctors. Brittany doesn't see a difference in her mother one bit - she looks like the same person she knew before the accident. Brittany swore down she wouldn't let her mother anywhere near Jason again. It's his fault she ended up in the hospital and would continue to believe that until evidence suggests otherwise.

"She looks great." John comments, looking into the room at his daughter. "Still the beautiful daughter I knew years ago."

Brittany allows herself to smile a little. "She's always been beautiful, Opa."

"That is very true, honey." John responds with a chuckle."You never did allow your mother to feel bad about herself - even when you were growing up. If she was having a bad day and put herself down you always sat on her lap, made her look at you and said, 'mama, you always look pretty'. You always did know how to make her feel better."

"Hopefully, I still do," Brittany whispered, folding her arms looking at the other blonde in the hospital room.

The time they spent waiting seemed like a lifetime, All Brittany wanted to do was speak to her mother and the doctors seemed to be taking forever with their evaluation. Why was everything taking so long? The blonde checked her watch seeing it was 4:37 am. How much longer could they be? Brittany let out a frustrated sigh getting impatient. She never did have a high attention span and the fact it was to do with her family made it worse. She wanted to get some fresh air but the knowledge that the doctors would walk out of the room the minute she did, made her stay. She felt nervous and excited all at once which was the reason why she couldn't stand still. She had so much to talk about with her mother that it got her all work up. God, if only Jason could see his plan failing.

"Mr Pierce?" A doctor called out, grabbing the attention of John. "She's ready for visitors. Don't overwhelm her, though - she's been through a lot."

"Thank you," John said in gratitude before walking to the door with Brittany. He looked at her with a smile. "Ready?"

Brittany nodded in confirmation allowing John to know they were both ready to go inside. The older and young Pierce walked inside the hospital room. It was a plain, white color without much decoration. It was quite dull actually but Brittany could only guess the other rooms were the same. Well, aside from the ones down the children's ward. She imagined colors to be everywhere down that area.

"Whitney?" John whispered, putting his hand on her arm. "How are you?"

The blonde smiled. "Hey, dad. I'm not bad - just a bad headache."

"You were in a car accident, honey. Do you remember?" John asked.

Whitney furrowed her eyebrows together in thought for a few minutes. It was the longest few minutes of Brittany's life - well, that was until her mother finally nodded her head allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief along with her grandfather. She remembered.

"Yeah, I remember. I was on my way to work but when I went down a small hill I couldn't break before the traffic lights." Whitney explained, her voice weak after not using it for two and a half years. "I crashed pretty hard into another before I blacked out. It's the last thing I remember."

"Your breaks didn't work?" John questioned, surprised at the information his daughter gave. "Were they broken?"

Whitney shook her head. "I had them checked regularly."

"She's right," Brittany confirmed with a nod of her head. "Mom got her breaks checked at least twice a month. She is a very careful driver and they were working perfectly the previous night."

Whitney raised her head at the voice before smiling - her hands going over her mouth. Brittany couldn't help but grin, moving to her mother's bedside hugging her for the first time in two years. She had been waiting for this and now it was happening. She felt her eyes water at the moment. This had to be a dream - how could this be real life? Is Jason going to walk in next? He was always the one to ruin their moments alone. Jealousy.

"Brittany - you looked different," Whitney observed; her hands on Brittany's cheeks. "New look?"

The younger blonde chuckled. "You could say that."

"Oh honey, it's so good to see you," Whitney said, hugging Brittany once again before pulling back and looking around the room. "Is Jason not here?"

The name even made her cringe. She didn't honestly want him in here too? Of course, she didn't blame her mother since she had no idea what kind of person he was. Brittany would do the honors of telling her, but she had literally just woken up. Bad news wouldn't turn out well.

"He's not here right now," John answered with a smile. "Maybe another time."

Good. That would hold her off a bit. Whitney smiled nodding her head. "Fantastic idea. I can enjoy spending time with my two favorite family members instead."

Brittany bit her lip. "Mom, you do know what year we are in, right?"

"Of course honey. I'm not delusional." Whitney laughed, shaking her head. "It's 2012."

John looked at Brittany with a concerned look before taking his daughter's hand. "No, sweetheart, it's not. The year is 2014. You have been in a coma for two years."

Whitney's face dropped instantly. "What? Where am I then? Phoenix hospital?"

Brittany shook her head taking her mother's hand. "No, mom, we're in Lima."

"And Jason?"

"Back in Phoenix," Brittany whispered looking down at her feet feeling uncomfortable. "I live with grandpa now."

"I don't understand," Whitney whispered looking between the two visitors. "What's going on?"

John smiled at Whitney. "I'll tell you whatever you want, okay? I can only imagine how difficult this must be for you, but I'm glad you are alive. You can stay at my house when you are released until you get better. No arguments either."

Whitney nodded her head before biting her lip. "Has Jason moved on?"

"We're not sure," John said honestly. "We haven't heard from him."

"I have, but it was nothing about him having a girlfriend or anything," Brittany stated factually. "I'm sure he still loves you, mom. I do, however, believe you can do better."

"Brittany," John warned giving her a stern look. "Now is not the time."

Whitney looked between the two family members completely confused. "What? I don't understand what is going on."Brittany was about to respond when the police walked into the room. Well, at least she could feel safe. Walking away from the bed, Brittany stood at the window looking into it trying to keep her thoughts to herself. As much as she wanted to keep it all a secret, Brittany was now struggling. She ran away to escape him and now the police were in the room it made her want to confess. She could be safe. Happy. The police would go and find him if she told them the story of what happened, but it would mean going down to the police station. She couldn't - not in front of her mother. She knew the whole situation would break her heart. Imagine being told your husband had been sexually assaulting your daughter. Well, you wouldn't want to since you don't imagine it ever happening. Brittany took a deep breath trying to gather her thoughts together.

Brittany looked at herself in the mirror noticing how thin her face had become. Was that from tiredness, maybe? She still didn't sleep much because of the nightmares but Brittany was accustomed to them. She didn't eat much either but that was beside the point. Had Jason got to her so much she had become weak? Just a shell people looked at whilst inside there was nothing? No, it couldn't be it. Closing her eyes, the blonde was brought back to another bad memory.

\- September 2013 -

 _Not many people would enjoy being back at school after the summer holidays finished, but Brittany did. She felt free to a certain extent. Throughout the summer she had been locked in the house by Jason who only allowed her to leave to get groceries. It didn't matter to him if she had a girlfriend - he hated gay people. To get out into the fresh air was an amazing feeling which she would definitely never take for granted again. Walking through the halls of school freely, dancing in the choir room and doing all sorts of different routines during cheer practice had never made the blonde so happy. Being part of the school atmosphere once more had boosted Brittany's happiness which everyone had noticed. She had everyone ask about her summer which, clearly, she ignored. Why did everyone have to be so nosey anyway?_

 _Isla did her usual routine of walking her home. She loved having a girlfriend to do things with- even though she was mad because they hadn't hung out all summer. Well, it wasn't as though she didn't want to. How do you explain to someone that you were locked in the house by your stepfather? With a kiss on the cheek, they parted causing Brittany to become anxious. What was going to happen when she entered the house? He had been getting drunk a lot lately which made everything hurt a lot more. Hopefully, he had calmed down this time. With a deep breath, Brittany entered her house putting her bag on the side. She always tried to sneak in but it was pointless since he always found her. There was no hiding from him._

 _The blonde made her way up the stairs and to her bedroom without a word from him. Damn, maybe she was going to escape him tonight. She walked into her bedroom putting her bag down on the chair before hanging her jacket up. It was the one jacket she had to keep clean otherwise the coach would have the jackets taken away. The appearance of the team had to be perfect every day which meant clean uniform, tight ponytails and the correct gear. Brittany understood that though since appearance is everything in cheerleading. With that being said, Brittany decided to undress and change into some comfier clothing. After being in the uniform all day there was nothing worse than being in it for longer than needed. Who wanted that?_

 _Brittany was leaning against the headboard of her bed when the door slammed open- it caused her body to tense immediately. Looking at the door, Brittany watched Jason walk in drunk. Perfect, just what she needed. He stumbled towards the bed, putting his can of beer on the side before pulling onto her legs. She knew to be quiet now -he usually got off on her screams so she refused to give him any satisfaction that she was in pain. It had gone on long enough that even fighting wasn't worth it. Brittany closed her eyes feeling his rough hands go under her top to feel her breasts and stomach before her sweatpants were pulled down along with her underwear. Jason pushed her legs apart roughly before working on his own which didn't take long - it never did. He hovered over her on the bed before thrusting into her hard, causing Brittany to bite her lower lip in pain. No matter how many times he raped her, it always hurt when he entered her._

 _The blonde's hands fisted the sheets trying to distract herself from the pain her lower body was receiving, whilst closing her eyes so she didn't have to look at him. Unfortunately, Brittany still had his scent around her - it caused her to feel nauseous. If the lower pain, nausea and smell weren't enough, he pushed her top up, pulled her bra down and put his mouth around her nipple. She had never felt so disgusted with herself in her life. Why her? What had she done to cause this man to rape her every night? What had she done in the past to result in receiving physical and emotional pain on a daily basis? Brittany swore down Jason only got close to her mother so he could be around her. What sick bastard does that? If this was happening to her now, how many other girls had gone through the same ordeal? What did they do to deserve that much pain?_

 _All Brittany could smell was the alcohol from his breath which he continued to breathe onto her whilst he panted from above. He usually only had the energy to come once when drunk which made Brittany feel lucky. It's not much to feel lucky about but when sober he could go on for hours until she was sore. It happened during the summer - a memory Brittany hoped she would forget one day. She clenched onto the sheets harder when he became rougher - she knew it was almost over. Only a few more minutes then she could get into the shower and scrub everything off again. She heard him mumble something before coming all over her stomach - luckily he never came inside her. She kept her eyes closed until she heard the door close before jumping up quickly and getting into the shower making sure to lock the door. How had this become her life? She started the cycle of thoroughly cleaning herself whilst crying silently._

\- 30th April 2014 -

Coming back into reality, Brittany wiped her eyes when she felt tears roll down her cheeks surprising her. She never cried - ever. What was going on? Had her mother's awakening alongside how tired she felt bringing unwanted emotions? Her feelings could not get in the way right now - she needed to keep the family together instead of apart. Her mother loved Jason but she didn't agree with it. The circumstances behind how they met caused her to become suspicious too. Apparently, they met at work, but was that the truth? Maybe Jason had been spying on them and only pretended to work at the law firm As a matter f fact, Brittany doesn't recall seeing him go to work once whilst living with him. All he did was lounge around getting drunk or sneaking around the house. Everything about this man was suspicious. How could Brittany even believe his name is Jason? Brittany turned around to see the police about to leave. She had to do this now or she never would. An apology to her family would happen at a later date.

"Can I speak to the both of you?" I ask, causing everyone to look at me surprised. Yes, my face was a mess but I had gone past caring. Jason's hold on my life came to a stop today. He needed to be stopped.

"Of course, Miss Pierce. What can we help you with?" One of the officers asked.

"I have to tell you something privately which I think will piece this whole situation together," Brittany stated, putting her hands into her jacket again. "I just can't tell you in here."

John and Whitney looked at the younger blonde surprised.

"Is everything okay, Brittany?" John asked, his voice dripping in concern for his granddaughter.

Brittany turned to her grandfather. "I need to do this alone. We'll only go down the hallway and you can even watch."

"I'll feel more comfortable with that if that's okay?"

Both officers nodded with a smile before walking down the hallway to an empty room. John watched from the outside whilst Brittany walked in after them. She sat on the bed whilst they both sat in the free chairs. Taking a deep breath, Brittany knew this would change her life for the better. No matter how scared she got, it had to be done. This was the last time Jason Fisher would ruin her life - Brittany was done being scared of the man. Now it's time for action to be taken against him.

"What can we help you with, Miss Pierce? Officer Mitchell, from what I saw on his badge, questioned getting his notepad out. "I assume it's serious if you don't want your mother listening in.

Brittany looked at the two officers, at her grandfather through the window then at the two police officers knowing she made the correct decision. Nodding her head, Brittany silently encouraged herself to say the words she needed.

"Brittany?" Officer Lawson asked, bringing the blonde into reality once again. "If this is hard, you can take as long as you need, okay?"

The blonde nodded fiddling with her fingers before looking up at them nodding her head. "Okay, I'm ready."

"What do you need to tell us?" Officer Mitchell questioned.

"I need you to find and arrest Jason Fisher," Brittany stated, looking at them seriously. "He is connected to my mother's accident."

"Do you have proof?" Officer Lawson asked. "We can't just arrest someone because you don't like them. It doesn't work that way."

"I know," Brittany said fiddling with her fingers. "But there's something else."

"What else is there?" Officer Mitchell asked.

Brittany took a deep breath closing her eyes for a few seconds before opening them to look at the two officers. She looked between them feeling hr hands shaking from how nervous she felt. Okay, now is the time. No more hiding.

"Jason Fisher sexually assaulted me for three and a half years," I confessed, before letting out a shaky breath and tears. "I couldn't hide it any longer. He caused my mother's accident - I know it. He continued to rape me on a daily basis when she was in the hospital. I - I need him to be in prison because - I just - I can't, I'm sorry."

Once the confession was in the air, Brittany allowed herself to burst into tears - one officer comforted her whilst the other wrote it down. She clung to the officer in her sensitive state since she didn't want to be alone. She had done what she needed to do months ago. Was today going to be the day to move forward? Shit, what if Jason found out she told the cops? So many emotions were going through her head right now. She knew her grandfather was going to find out since she heard the door open and close. In her state, she couldn't do much but cry. All the built up emotions were coming to the surface - it scared her a little actually. She looked up to see her grandfather's look of disbelief and anger. She didn't blame him either since he grew up protecting his family and now she knew he would feel guilty for not protecting her.

"Don't worry, Brittany. We are going to catch the bastard who did this to you." Officer Lawson promised, putting her hands on Brittany's shoulders to look at her properly. "You have nothing to fear, okay?"

Brittany nodded her head whimpering a little."Promise?"

"I promise no harm will come to you again."

Brittany let herself relax a little before being pulled into a tight hug by her grandfather. Everything would start to get better and she could stop being constantly anxious in public. Through all of this, there was only one person Brittany wanted - Santana.


	12. Twelve

Not trusting other people had been what Brittany went on since moving to Lima. Not once did she expect to be sat in a room after speaking to the police about everything. When one police officer started out, Brittany went on to explain to the remaining officer in the room about Jason threatening her - how he threatened to hurt her mother if she told anyone about his dirty little secret. Unfortunately, she had to go into detail about some things, most things actually, nevertheless she managed it. Hell, that's the main reason behind her wet cheeks - tears falling from her eyes uncontrollably. She had been waiting for a piece of paper to be put in front of her as a statement - as if talking in detail about everything wasn't enough.

Getting her phone out, Brittany went straight to Santana's name - tears continuously running down her face. Naturally, Brittany only wanted to talk to one person - Santana. The past few months the blonde had grown fond of Santana which, naturally, made her want to talk to her. Brittany kept telling herself to stop crying but nothing worked - she hadn't cried in ages. She felt weak. Helpless. Brittany didn't want Jason getting to her - she was stronger than that. Trying to ignore her thoughts, Brittany dialed Santana's number - her shaky hand moving to hold her phone close to her ear. The phone rang three or four times and just when Brittany thought to hang up, Santana answered,

" _Hey, Britt_."

Closing her eyes, Brittany took a deep breath to try and calm herself down. "Santana. Are you - Are you free?"

" _Yeah, I'm free. Is everything okay?_ "

Brittany's eyes filled with more tears, taking another breath, Time to be honest. "No. No, I'm not okay."

" _What's going on? You're worrying me_."

The blonde let out a shaky breath, "Can you - just - come to the hospital? I need you."

" _Of course, I won't be long, okay?_ "

"Thank you." Brittany whispered before hanging up, pulling her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs in a tight grip.

When Brittany thinks about it, she knows now is a terrible time to bring up what happened to her for three and a half years back in Phoenix but if she didn't tell someone now she never would. Brittany was not about to give Jason that power - he deserved to be punished for what he did. For what he did to her. That man tortured her for years and now she just wanted him to be locked away. He deserved to be locked away where he couldn't hurt anyone else - assault anyone else. She didn't care go into her mother's room because she knows her grandfather has gone in there and explained everything. She must be so distraught. Well, either that or her mother thinks she is a liar and is currently in the mindset of hating her instead. Better she finds out now rather than later though.

Wiping her tears away, Brittany moves to a standing position when her grandfather walks back into the room. She doesn't know whether to look up or to keep her head down so she decides on the latter. How can she look at her grandfather knowing she lied to him for months? In a way, Brittany does wish she kept it to herself but the minute they walked into the room she just had to talk to them. It was as though there was an invisible tether drawing her to them - so much that letting them walk away would be regrettable. Telling the police had to be one of the toughest things she had ever done before - retelling the story of the abuse brought back so many memories. Painful memories. Memories that kept her up at night.

"Brittany..." John whispered, standing in front of his granddaughter. "Why didn't you tell me? It pains me that you felt you had to keep this from me."

Shaking her head, Brittany finally raises her head to look at the elderly man in front of her. "It was my way of protecting myself. I had no idea if Jason had someone tracking me. To be totally honest, I didn't want to upset you."

"It upsets me even more that you didn't tell me," John says, putting his hands-on Brittany's arms. "I am here to protect you and if that bastard comes anywhere near you again, I will kill him myself."

Nodding her head, Brittany feels her eyes start to tear up. "I didn't want him, grandpa. I swear I didn't do anything to lead him on. He came on to me and I just - I just - I couldn't -"

John pulls Brittany into his arms straight away allowing the young girl to sob in his arms. How could his daughter's husband do something like this? How could he abuse her the way he did? Rubbing her back he allows her to cry and let out what she's been holding in for so long. It's clear to him that Brittany has so much emotion she's kept in and now she's told other people about her pain she's allowing herself to cry. It's a good thing since keeping feelings hidden just makes you feel worse.

Hearing a knock on the window, Brittany pulls away to see an officer motioning for her. She gives her grandfather a kiss on the cheek assuring him she'll be fine before walking out of the room. The blonde closes the door quietly behind her looking at the officer.

"What is it?" Brittany asks.

"There is a girl waiting at reception." Officer Lawson says, pointing towards the waiting room. "She requested to see you."

With a nod of her head, Brittany makes her way towards reception noticing a Latina stood there looking at her phone. Santana wasn't wearing anything spectacular, only some sweatpants and a hoodie, but Brittany thought she looked beautiful. Walking towards her, Brittany stopped in front of her before Santana wrapped her arms around the blonde. Brittany's arms went around her waist whilst her face buried into the crook of her neck – it felt nice to be in Santana's safe arms. She had always felt safe around Santana and even though she didn't know why, she was going to take it. With the investigation beginning on Jason she needed her more than ever. Yes, the Latina didn't know what had happened to her but she would shortly. She just hoped she still saw her the same way.

"I came straight after you called me," Santana whispered pulling back to take Brittany's hands in her own. "What's going on, Britt? You sounded upset when you phoned me."

Brittany looked down shaking her head before raising her head again to meet Santana's eyes. "Can we go somewhere private? I don't want everyone hearing what I'm going to tell you."

The two girls walked away from the reception area and down the corridor to find a quiet place to talk, Brittany walked into an empty waiting area room with Santana in tow closing the door behind them. It was quite large with chairs around the edge of the room so they just chose two in the far corner to sit in. Brittany had explained it to the officer already and even though that was hard, this would be even harder. Telling someone she really cares for about what Jason did is definitely not going to be an easy task. Nevertheless, Brittany had to tell Santana in case Jason turned up which could be any day now. The man was bound to find out sooner or later that his wife had woken up. Plus, with his search for her, he was definitely going to make his way towards Lima.

"What I'm about to tell you is the truth – it happened to me before I came to Lima," Brittany began, looking at the girl beside her before taking her hand. "Actually, it happened for three and a half years before I ran away to Lima."

Santana moves her fingers through Brittany's maintaining eye contact with her. "Take your time. I'll sit here for as long as you want."

Taking a deep breath, Brittany began to explain everything - from the moment she met Jason to when she ran away from her life in Phoenix. She didn't leave out any details since she wanted Santana to know exactly how she felt when she was in that moment. She wanted Santana to understand everything she went through. Explaining things twice definitely took a toll on her, but she did it for the right reason. The police so they could find the man and Santana so she could help her through what was going to happen – going through it with her family alone wouldn't be enough. She needed someone in the circle who she felt safe around – who wouldn't let anything happen to her. Yes, her grandfather would protect her but Santana would protect her emotionally. The way Santana reacted showed Brittany she hid it well meaning no one would have picked up on it from school – she'd deny it if they did anyway but that wasn't the point.

Every time Brittany felt herself about to cry, Santana squeezed her hand in support and comfort. In no way shape or form did Brittany enjoy being in a vulnerable state, however, she was glad that the person sat with her is Santana and not some random person. It's better than someone like Jason seeing her this way.

"So, after three and a half years I just had enough so I ran away." Brittany finished, with a shake of her head. "I don't want you to think less of me or think I'm disgusting."

"You are beautiful, inside and out." Santana states, squeezing the blonde's hand. "No matter what happened in your past, I will never, ever, think less of you."

Brittany looks up with a teary smile. "Thank you," Brittany whispers back, sitting up again with a sigh wiping her eyes. "Your opinion is the only one that matters to me."

"Yeah? What about your family?"

Laughing, Brittany shrugs. "Well they do matter but I don't open up to them like I have to you. I just – I trust you. I'm not saying I don't trust my family or anything but – well, you know."

Santana nods in understanding. "It's different with friends and – partners."

"Partners?" Brittany questions. "Is that what we are?"

Santana blushes looking away nervously with a shrug. "We never discussed it."

"Very true but I thought -" Brittany began before shaking her head. "Never mind."

Before Brittany could get up and walk away from the awkward atmosphere that had risen into the air, Santana leaned over kissing Brittany with her hand cupping her cheek. Gasping in surprise, Brittany relaxed feeling the Latina's soft lips against her own allowing her own lips to brush back against the other girls. She wasn't sure whether to feel awkward about where they were but she decided to just enjoy the moment. She would if they weren't in a hospital so why shouldn't she whilst sat in the waiting room? Brittany slid her hand up her neck before resting on the back of it feeling the small hairs on the back of the girl's neck. She couldn't help but smile into the kiss feeling Santana smile back before they both pulled away. The two girls looked at each other before laughing and standing up from their seats. Brittany glanced at the Latina with a smile of adoration.

"How'd you do that?"

"Do what exactly?" Santana asks, folding her arms. "I didn't do anything."

Shaking her head, Brittany took a step closer to Santana. "Au contraire. You always find a way to make me feel better, even when I don't want to."

"Aren't you sweet?" Santana says, putting her hand on Brittany's arm. "You should go back to your family."

Brittany nods her head. "Will you come with me? I need you around right now."

"Of course – whatever you need."

Brittany and Santana made their way back to where Brittany's mother is. Even though Brittany is independent, she still enjoys company and the comfort of someone close to her. In this case its Santana. She knows she freaked out a little back there when they started to talk about their relationship but she still hadn't decided what she wants. Santana is a beautiful, smart and caring person but did she want to commit to her? Last time she committed to someone she ended up leaving them and she couldn't even imagine hurting Santana – she didn't want to do that. But if her mother wants to move back to Phoenix then she would most likely end up going back with her. She just didn't want to put Santana through that pain.

"There you are Brittany!" John cried out, pulling her into a hug. "I was worried when you were gone for a while."

"Grandpa, I'm fine. Santana came to see me, that's all." Brittany mumbled against his shoulder before pulling back. "She makes me feel safe."

John smiles before holding out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Santana. I'm John."

"Santana Lopez." Santana said, taking his hand and shaking it. "It's lovely to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you from Brittany."

Chuckling, John pulls his hand away. "Nothing bad, I hope."

Santana smiles shaking her head. "I assure you, she speaks very highly of you."

"Okay let's just go in and see mom. I'm sure she's wondering what's going on." Brittany suggested, walking to her room pulling on Santana's arm, dragging the Latina behind her.

They all walked into Whitney's room to see a nurse looking at the chart they had for her. Brittany walked slowly towards her mother taking her hand. She wasn't sure how to act around someone who had been out of her life, through no fault of her own, for the past two years. Brittany had, of course, gone to see her in the hospital to talk to her but it's not as though she responded to anything she told her. Brittany's eyes kept wandering towards the window as though Jason was going to walk past and enter the room at any given moment. It had been exactly 7 weeks and two days since she ran away and seven weeks and three days since Jason last had his hands on her. Just thinking about it makes her shiver and want to jump straight into the shower to scrub the feeling away.

"Is everything okay?" John asks the nurse. "Will she be okay?"

The nurse looks in his direction nodding his head. "Your daughter will be just fine, Mr Pierce. We just need to do a few more tests and we will need to keep her here for observation for the next few days but after that, if everything goes to plan, she should be fine to go home with you."

"That's great. Thank you very much."

The nurse left allowing the family, plus Santana, in the room alone with Whitney. Brittany pulled up a seat next to the bed not letting go of her mom's hand.

"I was so worried about you, mom." Brittany whispered, stroking her arm with her other hand. "I prayed every day that you would come out of the coma and wake up to be with me again."

"It looks like your praying worked then," Whitney said with a smile. "I know you came to see me every day before I was transferred here."

Brittany looked at her mother confused. "How do you know that?"

"I remember hearing your voice. You always told me about your day at school and about your girlfriend. Even though I couldn't respond I heard every word."

Hearing that made her eyes water but Brittany was determined not to cry. She couldn't believe her mom heard every word when she visited her in Phoenix. She always wished her mom secretly could but now it had been confirmed the whole situation was an emotional experience. Since meeting Jason back in 2012 he made it very clear on the rules of crying in the house – even if she did it quietly he would end up walking up the stairs, barging into the room and snapping at her to stop. Very scarily sometimes.

"You heard me?" Brittany asked in a whisper. "I always hoped you did."

"Every word, sweetheart."

With a smile, Brittany stepped back wiping tears away with the back of her hand, "I'm glad you are awake, mom. I've really missed you."

"I think we can all agree it's lovely to see you awake, honey." John said, patting his daughters arm. "I've not seen you in so long and I have to admit, it is so good to see you."

Brittany stepped back to give her mother and grandfather some room to talk standing next to Santana. Even though she Latina isn't part of this family she couldn't be more grateful for the support. Just having someone there who isn't family helped her keep calm – if not Brittany knew she would have ended up breaking down in some way. Right now, that isn't what her mother needs - she needs happiness. Brittany couldn't believe how happy her grandfather looks seeing his daughter in person – probably similar to how she feels too. Smiling, Brittany looks at Santana who seems to be looking at her with a soft smile. The blonde feels Santana's fingers trace the skin on her wrist lightly causing a tingling feeling shoot through her arm. The fact that she had been sexually assaulted for three and a half years but still have these feelings for someone else confused her. How is that even possible? If anything, she should be terrified of any physical contact. Brittany has read about stuff like this before – every person who has been sexually assaulted deals with what happened in a different way. Brittany will openly admit that Jason terrifies her and, generally, men scare her - it's different with women. She may not be ready to be sexually intimate with someone for a while but Santana is different. She always has been different to everyone else since they met and that could be either a blessing or a curse depending on the way you look at it.

"I should head home, Britt," Santana whispers, letting go of her arm.

Brittany nods her head resting a hand on Santana's lower back. "I'll take you home."

"No, it's okay. I'll be fine." Santana insisted turning to face the blonde. "You need to be with your family."

Resting her hands upon Santana's biceps, she shakes her head. "I need air anyway." Turning her head towards her family, Brittany notices them looking at the both of them with a smile. "I'm going to take Santana home."

"Alright, honey. Are you coming back to the hospital or going home?"

She looks at her grandfather then her mother biting her lip slightly. "Home. I'll come back tomorrow, I promise."

Walking up to the bed, Brittany hugs her mom tight for a few moments before pulling away with a smile.

"I love you."

Whitney smiles reaching up to touch her arm lightly. "I love you too, honey. I'll see you tomorrow."

Brittany walks over to her grandfather hugging him as well. "Are you staying here tonight?"

"I'll be back later on." John whispers. "After finding out about Jason I want to be there for you."

Pulling back, she kisses her grandfather's cheek in response before making her way to the door walking out of the room with Santana. Having some space from the hospital will do her good and being able to spend time with Santana is just a bonus. They make their way to the parking lot when Santana grips her arm halting them to their current position.

"What is it?" Brittany asked. "I want to make sure you get home safe."

"And I want to make sure you're okay." Santana responds, looking at Brittany square in the face. "What you told me earlier is serious. It's not something you tell a person and go on afterwards like nothing happened."

"I told you because I trust you immensely. Frankly, if it wasn't for my feelings towards you, I wouldn't have even told you." Brittany stated, looking around cautiously. "I need you – I need you to help me through this. I don't usually ask for help but I am struggling by myself."

Santana nods her head, taking Brittany's hand giving it a squeeze. "I'll help you with whatever you need."

With a nod of her head, Brittany looks around once again before nodding her head. "Where's your car?"

"Just over there. Come on."

The two girls make their way over to Santana's car before driving out of the hospital parking lot completely. Santana had given Brittany permission to drive in this instance to help her feel better and distract herself. Brittany couldn't be more grateful as a matter of fact. She needed some distraction and even though Santana generally is that distraction, driving helps clear her head. It did when she lived back in Phoenix too.

It didn't take long before they were parking in front of Santana's house. No lights were on indicating everyone must be asleep – saying that it is early hours of the morning. Four am to be exact. Brittany turned off the engine taking off her seatbelt sighing out loud. She still had to get home yet and normally she would be fine walking home alone but tonight was different. Jason could definitely be around since telling the police about what he did to her. He had surprised her before and she would definitely not put it past him to be standing in the shadows somewhere.

"Well, here we are – your house." Brittany said, motioning to the building. "I should get back."

"I want you to stay with me tonight." Santana responded, turning in her seat to face the blonde. "I know you don't need a protector or anything but Jason sounds like a very dangerous man. I don't feel safe knowing you are planning to walk back to your grandfather's place at this time of night."

"Santana…"

"No arguments. You're staying here. With me."

Brittany saw the look of worry on Santana's face and knew it would probably be best if she did say. Her phone is in her pocket so texting her grandfather where she is would be easy. The Latina definitely had a way of making her feel safe s, in a practical manner, it seems logical. Biting her lip once, Brittany nods her head.

"Okay."

Xxxxxxxxxx

Feeling a warm heat on her face was what woke Brittany up. Opening her eyes, she noticed the room definitely wasn't the one she had been waking up in for the past few weeks. Not only that but there was an arm over her stomach which definitely isn't something she wakes up to on a daily basis. Her head turned to the side allowing her eyes to gaze over a sleeping Latina beside her which could only be Santana. After all the excitement, even though it was pretty bad for the most part, it made her so tired that as soon as her head hit the pillow she passed out completely. Shit, did she even text her grandpa? Reaching over Brittany grasped her cellphone going straight to the messages and sighing in relief. Even in her tired state she managed to let her grandpa know where she stayed. With the whole Jason situation, out in the open Brittany could only imagine what would have happened if she hadn't let him know where she stayed. The police station definitely comes to mind.

Even though Brittany is terrified about what events were going to follow last night, she felt relieved in some way. Now she can allow the police to do their job and arrest the sick bastard – hopefully her mother won't hate her too much. Brittany is aware deep down her mom will take her side instantly but what will she think? Will she blame herself for not noticing? Hate the fact she married a molester? Frankly, Brittany doesn't know of her mother knows what Jason did to her. She told he police and her grandpa knows but she isn't sure whether the information made it as far as her mother's ears. The police may have questioned her but surely, they would wait until the nurse or doctor gives their approval. It seems like the right thing to do – well, it does in Brittany's opinion.

Sitting up, Brittany moves her hands over her face to wake up a little more. It was definitely weird waking up in someone else's bed but, at the same time, it is sort of nice. She hears her phone start to go off causing Brittany to pick her phone up again – her father? Why would he be messaging her? Deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt, she opens the message.

 **From Dad: Is everything okay, Brittany? I've just got a call from the police about you.**

Brittany frowns as she reads the message. Why would the police contact her father? It has nothing to do with him so what possible cause would the police needs to speak to him. Her grandfather, maybe, but not a man she hardly talks to or sees. She cannot even remember the last time, aside from the time he turned up at the hospital, that they saw each other.

 **To Dad: Why do you care? It's not as though you even see me.**

Okay so maybe her wording could be a little less harsh but at the end of it all the man hasn't been around. If he was she wouldn't have gone through all the shit she did back in Phoenix. She has no intention on forgiving the man just because he is her biological father. Sighing in frustration she reads the reply when her cell goes off again.

 **From Dad: I always care. I know I'm not around as much as I should be but I will always look out for you. I love you.**

 **To Dad: Just answer the questions they ask. I don't care what you do.**

Sighing in frustration, Brittany puts her phone on the side ignoring it when it goes off again. Lying back down she notices Santana start to stir causing a smile to form on her lips. It amazed Brittany just how beautiful she looks in the morning – not that she had woken up next to many women in her life time. She leans on her side watching the Latina slowly wake up and if she was being perfectly honest, Brittany knew she could watch her all day. All night. Damn, she could watch her all the time.

"Morning."

Brittany smiles tracing her hand over Santana's back. "Morning."

"What time is it?"

Raising her head, she looks at the clock on Santana's nightstand. "Around midday. We didn't go to bed until around five this morning though so it's not as though we slept for ages. Around seven hours."

Santana nods rubbing her eyes. "I didn't know if you would still be here actually."

"No? Why didn't you think I would be here?"

Santana shakes her head looking at Brittany with a sleepy smile. "It's stupid but I thought you would leave once I fell asleep."

"I fell asleep before you." Brittany responds with a laugh. "I had no chance, trust me."

Rolling onto her back Santana looks up at the blonde with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah? Would you if you had the chance?"

Pressing her lips together in thought for a second, Brittany shook her head. "No. I think after you asked me to stay I felt grateful that someone would want to spend time with me even after finding out about my past."

Santana leans up slightly on her arms. "No matter what you tell me about your past it won't change my interpretation of you."

Brittany smiles leaning down to brush her lips gently against Santana's. "You are amazing."

"Me? I thought you were." Santana responds cupping her cheek before kissing back. "I admire how strong you are, Brittany.

"I'm the opposite of strong," Brittany responds with a sigh. "I couldn't stop him. I couldn't save my mom. I couldn't stop him."

Resting her hand on Brittany's cheek, Santana strokes it gently with her thumb. "You survived. He can't hurt you anymore and if he tries I will…punch him in the face."

"Punch him in the face?" Brittany asks, chuckling a little. "You are really going to punch a 6 ft man?"

"I would do anything for you, Britt."

Brittany traces her fingers along Santana's side. "I know – I would do anything for you too."


	13. Thirteen

**This chapter was a lot harder to write because of the way Brittany's character acts but I don't want to spoil anything so I'll allow the writing to speak for itself.** **I don't tend to ask for reviews as I generally just like to give people the option but if you have any comments about this chapter or the story in general then don't hesitate to message me or review :) I do read all reviews and I'm grateful for each and every one! Enough of that though. Enjoy the chapter! xo**

xxxxxxxxx

Having Jason walking around in the open without knowing where he actually was made Brittany feel very uneasy. Yes, she's glad her mother is awake but, on the other hand, he was bound to find out sooner or later. Her grandfather had already told the police that he wants Jason found and arrested as soon as possible – he wasn't joking either because that usually meant now. The police are looking for him and they know his description from what Brittany and John have said. What worried Brittany, however, is apparently that name rang a bell to a number of officers – that couldn't be a good sign. It wasn't just the local police either – they had gotten the police in Phoenix on hand and on the lookout for him as well as a number of others around the areas they knew, or at least thought, he would go to. Brittany and her grandfather had, however, been struggling to keep everything from Whitney. Brittany didn't want to upset her mother and thought she would take his side and John didn't think it was the right time to tell her – she is in hospital after all. The older blonde woman isn't aware who cut her breaks and, as a matter of fact, no one is since there isn't any proof he did it – Brittany had her suspicions of course but, at the end of the day, who doesn't? If it went as far as court, her suspicions wouldn't hold – hell, everything wouldn't hold without official evidence. That is where the system lets you down – when bad people get away with things because of the lack of evidence.

Running from it, learning from it, is what Brittany has been doing for the past few months. It feels like it has been much longer but everything was bound to come out eventually. Brittany knows the secret was too big to keep under wraps for a long time – she would have told someone eventually and it may not have been someone she was comfortable telling. Since moving to Lima, however, it's different – she feels a lot safer. She has people who she trusts and feels safe in the place where she sleeps at night – plus having a bunch of trusting people in her corner always helps. When staying at her grandfather's place wasn't an option, or fear took over, Santana offered up her place as a safe space. It actually worked too, as a matter of fact, seeing as sleep always managed to take over instead of her head forming nightmares she didn't want – plus, Santana is beautiful and it's always a bonus when you get to sleep next to a stunning individual. Whenever Brittany ends up at Santana's, she doesn't have to worry about being strong and ignoring what is happening because Santana knows all of it. The blonde trusted her enough and now she knows the full story it's a lot easier – it's actually improved their relationship/friendship. Santana knows when Brittany is having a nightmare and know what to do when it turns aggressive – the blonde has even gotten to the point where she isn't embarrassed when she is woken up by Santana. It's only been a week mind you, but Santana made Brittany feel calm and safe and, frankly, that is what she needs right now.

After telling Santana about Jason, they haven't really spoken about it since which is a blessing in disguise. Brittany doesn't want to talk about it and she's glad that it hasn't become a necessity. Going through it then talking to the police and Santana once each time was enough for a lifetime. She knew Santana wanted to ask questions, but she didn't want that. The blonde wasn't ready for all the questioning and pity and it definitely wasn't needed. From things the police had explained, the school knew about the situation which, in itself, is a bit of relief. The school knew what Jason looked like so if he tried to get into the school he wouldn't succeed – security would batter him to a pulp. Being totally honest, Brittany would literally pay to see him beat up and in pain on the floor. It would make her feel a lot better about everything and of course it meant she could get a few kicks in herself – damn, what she would give to kick him in the balls. Her mother wouldn't be too pleased but she could find someone else – someone who isn't a sexual predator. Someone who actually loves her for who she is instead of wanting something else or, in Jason's case, someone else.

Feeling a shake of her shoulder caused Brittany to awaken from her slumber bringing her back to reality. Looking up she gratefully takes the coffee before sitting up properly wiping the sleep from her eyes bringing herself to familiarize herself with the surroundings – hospital walls. Yeah, as she suspected, she fell asleep whilst talking to her mother the night before who, from what she can see, is still fast asleep. Smiling, she takes a sip of coffee sighing pleasurably.

"God, I really needed this."

John chucked sitting beside her. "I realized where you were when you didn't come home last night. Fell asleep in this comfy chair, did you?"

Brittany nodded her head, sitting up properly. "Apparently so - just didn't want to leave her. I must have fallen asleep before she did though because I don't recall her even looking sleepy."

"I don't recall you calling me to say where you were either so I figured it was either here or Santana's. I knocked Santana's place off the list since you always seem to call before falling asleep when you're there."

"I still have no idea how I manage that," Brittany admits, leaning back in the chair. "Santana must remind me or something."

John takes his granddaughter's hand squeezing it lightly. "I don't think that's the reason, honey. I think Santana makes you feel safe."

Looking down at her coffee cup, Brittany nods in agreement. "She does make me feel safe," Letting out a breath, she looks up at her mother in sorrow. "I just wish we met under different circumstances – we wouldn't have even met if it wasn't for – you know."

"I don't believe that for a second." Reaching over to put his cup on the side, the older man picks up his phone fiddling around with it before opening it up and showing a picture of the two teenagers laying on Brittany's bed. "What does that mean to you?"

Brittany looked at it noticing how her head was on Santana's chest whilst the Latina had her arms wrapped around her – both of them sleeping. Wait, her grandpa had actually taken a picture of them asleep? How did he manage that when she's a light sleeper? What did it mean to her though? Well, for one they looked like a cute couple and, not only that, the way Santana's arms were around her showed protectiveness. She did always feel safe around her and the picture even showed it. There was no hint of fear in her face – just peacefulness.

"I – I look, well, peaceful."

John passed the phone to Brittany. "Look closer."

Taking the phone, the blonde looked closer and noticed the small smile on her face whilst she slept. Not only that but Santana didn't even look properly asleep. For the first time, she actually looked, dare she say it, happy. How the hell did that happen, considering how scared she has been lately? Looking at the man, she contemplated her options on what she should do.

"Grandpa, I -"

A shuffling of bed sheets stopped her from going any further into it. Whitney stirred causing Brittany to jump up and hug her in delight – she hadn't been able to for so long and she wasn't about to let any of it go to waste. She felt her mother's go around her, hugging her back causing a smile to form. It was amazing to be in her mother's embrace once again. She can't remember the last time they even hugged before now- well, it didn't matter because they were here. Things would start to get better. Pulling back, she stood up wiping her eyes.

"I need to get back to get ready for school," Brittany said picking up the mug she set down. "I don't want to miss anything."

Whitney gave her a look which instilled fear in her. She didn't know about the abuse, did she? Her grandfather had suggested they wait until she's out of the hospital before saying anything. Shit, he hadn't changed his mind without informing her, had he? No, she knew him – he wouldn't do something like that to her.

"What is it, mom?"

Whitney shook her head. "It's okay, darling. You get yourself ready for school. We can talk later about it."

"Are you sure?" Brittany questioned, feeling uneasy at what could possibly be going on but her mother nodded her head anyway. It can't be that important then. On the other hand, she didn't want to leave and find Jason by her side later. She wouldn't be able to cope with the concept of that happening. "I can stay, it's fine."

"Don't be silly, Brittany. Education is important and I want you in school. We can talk tonight when visiting hours begin." Whitney assured the blonde motioning her to the door. "Go on. I'll be okay, I promise."

"No surprises?"

Whitney chuckled shaking her head. "No surprises. Have a great day."

With one last look of curiosity, Brittany left the room making her way out of the hospital. What could her mother possibly want to talk to her about?

Xxxxxxxxxx

To distance herself from the crowd a little bit, Brittany put on a leather jacket since a lot of people, she's noticed, avoid people who wear them. It's true though since a lot of people have either completely ignored the blonde or walked away in the opposite direction. It's exactly what she wanted. Brittany knows she has too much going on in her life without everyone else trying to get involved too. Frankly, Santana is the only one allowed to be around her for longer than two minutes. She has a hold on her which can't be explained. In times like this Brittany sometimes just wants to dance it out but she doesn't do that anymore; not since Phoenix. Frankly, it's something she misses a lot but she knows the minute any form of dancing is done, everyone would find out and that would be it – goodbye invisibility. Brittany needed to feel invisible. The whole reason the move to Lima happened would be so she could hide and be safe which meant dancing had to be cut out completely. It was okay though; sacrifices have to be made sometimes.

Sitting under a tree on the field, Brittany couldn't be more content if she tried. With starting the year late, she had a lot more free periods than most. Yes, it meant getting bored quicker but also there were no students to bother her. They were all in class and, frankly, Brittany preferred it that way. Her head was so full of stuff she doesn't think people coming over and talking to her would be the greatest idea – especially for them. Having to think and relive moments of her past, terrible ones, broke her little by little every day. She has so much baggage she doesn't even get why Santana wants to hang around with her – why should she? Brittany knows she is broken and filthy because of him – he ruined her life and now she is pretty sure any sexual encounter in the future will take her back to those moments. All that pain will stay with her forever. Brittany looks around nervously before bringing her knees up to her chest wrapping her arms around them. Why did it have to happen to her? What did she do that was so wrong? She must be being punished for something – that is literally the only reason why Jason came into her life. She had no other explanation. She used to be able to block out all of these thoughts and pretend the whole situation didn't happen but ever since she told the police she's become more on edge. Brittany knows Jason has figured out that she told the police. How was she supposed to hide now? When did she become so small?

Looking ahead she noticed the football players walking in her general direction which terrified her. She felt panic start to flow through her and before she knew what was going on, she ran inside. Men terrified her and she didn't realize how much until now. How did she block all of this out before? She could deal with it when it was all in the back of her mind but now it's been brought up to the service she feels like she can't breathe. Her chest is tight and when she gets into the school corridor, the people there are too much. She can't hear a word anyone is saying – all she needs is quiet. She needs to get away. Looking around, Brittany pushes past everyone running as fast as she can. Once she gets to the end of the corridor she slips into a closet closing the door behind her. Panting, she leans against the door closing her eyes trying to breathe. She knew telling the truth would have its consequences and this is it.

"Brittany?"

The blonde shakes her head trying to block out the soft voice that is Santana Lopez. She can't handle anyone right now – she can't have Santana look at her broken body. How did she even know where she was?

"Go away, Santana," Brittany responds clenching her fists together. "I don't want to see you."

After not hearing anything for a minute or two, she assumes she has gone until she hears what sounds like a body leaning against the door. So, she hasn't left? Why couldn't she just leave?

"I'm going to sit here with you."

Brittany faces the door before sliding down to the floor leaning her head against it. She closes her eyes feeling a few tears slide down her cheeks turning to sit with her back against the wooden door.

"Why? I'm not coming out. I can't – I just -"

"I'm not asking you to – it's okay. I'll be here until you're ready."

Brittany knew she wouldn't be ready to talk. Usually, she didn't show her emotions around school because when that happens people see you as weak and that was not the image she wanted. Confident. Strong. Intelligent. Those are some of the things Brittany would like others to see her as – being weak was definitely not an option. She had to stop crying but the tears kept falling. Why do bad things always happen to good people? Jason is walking around a free man whilst she sits here crying in a damn closet at school. How the hell is that fair? Brittany puts her head in her hands just wishing everything was normal like it was before. Before Jason. Before her mother's car accident. Before everything went to shit. She feels her body shaking but can't explain the reasoning behind it. When did everything become so fucked up?

She must have sat in that same spot trying to gather her thoughts for a good half an hour – Brittany didn't move. The fact that she had only just stopped crying made her realize how broken she is. When she first moved to Lima, Brittany knew she would have to keep her past hidden away which, of course, meant forgetting it. Of course, she didn't forget – who could just not remember something that happened most days for three and a half years? Her nightmares came back on a regular basis, but she didn't show any emotion towards the fact she wasn't okay. When her whole world changed, she did too and it wasn't into someone she particularly liked either. Turning her body to the side slightly, her hand rested on the door.

"You shouldn't want me," Brittany whispered closing her eyes. "I'm broken. Damaged goods. I will only cause you pain and you deserve better than that."

There was a two-minute pause which caused Brittany to believe she did leave in the end. But, of course, Santana didn't. She stayed and listened to her cry for half an hour because that's the kind of person she is.

"You aren't damaged goods, Brittany," Santana responded which Brittany knew was a lie. "You are beautiful, smart, funny and just stunning. When you walk into a room I can't keep my eyes off of you. Don't push me away – you need me and I'm not going to allow you to go through this alone."

"I've been going stuff alone all my life. I'm used to it."

"I wish you weren't," Santana whispered.

Brittany and Santana both leant against the door listening to the other person's breathing. It calmed Brittany to hear the other girls breathing but it didn't make her feel better. Nothing could make things better unless someone happened to be carrying around a memory eraser – she could really do with one of them. She wants to erase every memory of that man. Brittany hates that she can still feel his rough, callused hands on her body; how she knows exactly what his favorite cologne smells like and how she will never get the taste of him out of her mouth. He made her do a lot of things and half she won't ever tell anyone – she couldn't out of embarrassment.

"I cried after you fell asleep," Santana admitted bringing Brittany out of her thoughts. "Last week when you stayed over after telling me about what your stepdad did. I just – it pained me to hear what that man put you through for so many years."

Even though the blonde couldn't see the other girl, she still looked at the door as though she was sat in front of her. "You did?"

"I didn't want you to see me cry because you need me right now. I want to be strong for you and hearing that story just – it really got to me." Santana continued to explain making Brittany's heart flutter at her words. "You are special to me and just hearing what happened made me want to find him and kill him."

Brittany understood that – heck, she wanted to find the man and kill him herself. She knew Santana was a tough individual and it made sense that she wouldn't cry in front of her. Santana probably had the same theory she did – never cry in front of other people. Staring at the door for a few minutes, Brittany slowly gets up off the floor opening the door. She had never felt so emotionally vulnerable before. The blonde looked at the Latina who stood up facing her. They didn't say a word for a few minutes before Santana cautiously stepped forward putting a hand on Brittany's cheek which Brittany accepted. They stepped closer before Brittany pulled Santana against her own body hugging her tightly. Her face buried itself in the crook of Santana's neck whilst her arms wrapped themselves around her waist. Holding back had long gone and now she had gotten to the point of needing comfort from someone else. Someone to hold and protect her at all costs. Pulling back, Santana cupped Brittany's cheeks brushing away any tears escaping her eyes with her thumbs. Brittany's hands went on the girl's arms gripping lightly just needing something to hold onto before their foreheads leant against one another. Brittany closed her eyes not allowing herself to cry again. She already had for half an hour of the day and that was certainly enough.

"What happened, Brittany?" Santana whispered, pulling back slightly to look into her blue eyes. "Talk to me – I want to help you."

Brittany shook her head. "You can't help me, Santana. I'm way past being fixed."

Bringing a hand to the back of her neck, Santana ran her fingers up into the blonde locks. "Tell me anyway."

Taking a breath, Brittany looked into the chocolate brown eyes she loved so much. "After I told the police, I've not been able to keep my emotions at bay. I'm scared all the time and everything around me is getting to me. The football team walked towards me and I panicked and ran inside. I'm sorry – I know it's stupid but I just – I just want – I want everything to be different."

"Don't apologize for something you have no control over." Santana declared, looking around before pushing the blonde into the closet once again closing the door before pulling her body back against her own – her fingers going to the back of her neck whilst her arm wrapped around her body. Santana felt Brittany grip onto her tightly. "You got sexually assaulted, Brittany. You are allowed to break down, panic and not trust that other people will do the same thing."

"I don't want to be scared all the time," Brittany whispered shaking her head. "I don't want him to win."

Pulling back, Santana rests her hand on Brittany's cheek once again. "He's not winning because he hasn't got you. You are living your life and I know you are struggling – I totally get why you are as anyone in your situation would – but with help, you can live your life without him controlling you. I believe in you and if I ever see that motherfucker in person I will kill him for what he did to you."

Brittany nodded gripping onto Santana's waist. "I believe you. I – I want to explain more – about my life I mean."

"You will when you're ready."

Brittany just nods her head fiddling with the bottom of Santana's cheerleader uniform. "Thank you. You – You look hot."

"Sorry?" Santana questions.

Brittany motions to the outfit Santana is wearing, wanting more than anything to get away from the subject of her past. If she has to use the girl in front of her to do that then she will. "You look – hot. This outfit makes you look gorgeous."

"You trying to flirt, Miss Pierce?"

Brittany laughs shaking her head. "No, just telling the truth."

Santana looks up at her before brushing blonde hair out of her face with a smile. No words were needed in that moment – both of them knew.

"Do you want to grab a coffee?" Brittany asked motioning to the door. "I don't think I can handle school right now and I kind of need coffee."

Santana chuckles. "Sure. I can do coffee."

Brittany opens the door motioning for Santana to go first before walking after her shoving her hands into her jeans walking alongside the Latina. Brittany had never been more grateful to have Santana in her life until that moment.

Xxxxxxxxxx

It had become a routine to visit her mother at the end of a school day. Sometimes she hung around with Santana for a while, even bringing her along on the odd occasion, but the end of the night always ended the same way. Sat beside her mother's bedside getting to know her again. Her mother, of course, had been asking a ton of questions about her 'new' life. The fact that Jason wasn't around still hadn't been brought up, but that was okay – Brittany wasn't ready to talk about all that stuff yet anyway. Tonight, was different than the other nights she had visited – she knew it would be after the comment earlier that same morning. After her breakdown at school she did forget about it for a while but the minute she began walking towards the hospital it came back. It kept her on edge all the way but she made sure to look cheerful as soon as she walked into the deadly hospital room. Okay, maybe it wasn't deadly but Brittany was not a fan of hospitals in the slightest so that's the way the room is in her eyes. Deadly.

Her grandfather wasn't here this time which was odd but maybe that's the way her mother wanted it. Maybe she spoke to her father after she had left for school. It had been eating at her ever since she walked in but her mother did seem normal so it couldn't be life-threatening which is a good thing. She did turn up alone today but since it's a hospital she would be safe. They wouldn't let in anyone who was perceived as a threat – not to mention that all of the police are looking for him. Jason wouldn't be stupid enough to walk into Lima – she wouldn't be surprised if he sent someone else though. He is a dead-weight and doesn't ever do anything himself. He used to sit around the house all the time drinking and watching TV even though he apparently worked at the same firm as her mom. Brittany thinks something isn't right about the man and the fact that she and her mother are away from him is the best thing to happen to them in a long time.

Looking up the blonde noticed her mother looks as though she is ready to start the conversation and straight away Brittany knows it's not exactly going to be a good conversation. She can tell by the look on her face – she had the same look when she told her about the breakup between her and her dad. This can't be good.

"Brittany, I think we need to have a real discussion about what is going to happen after I get out of here," Whitney explains which causes Brittany's stomach to churn. What could she possibly have to say about the situation?

"What is there to say? Brittany asked, leaning back in her chair. "You heard what grandpa said – you are staying with us until you get better."

"And after I get better?"

Brittany didn't want to think that far ahead since she knew her mother would want to be back in Phoenix and back with – well, her husband. She never will understand why but she knows her mother still loves him.

"We don't need to think that far ahead," Brittany said shrugging her shoulders. "All that matters is you have a place to stay when you get out of the hospital."

Whitney took her daughter's hand. "We can't stay in Lima forever, honey. It's a small town and there isn't much here."

"So? I'm happy here." Brittany argued back, pulling her hand away immediately. "I don't want to go back to Phoenix. At least here I feel safe."

Brittany saw her mother look at her questioningly. She didn't mean to say that out loud but she was bound to find out about everything sooner or later. Frankly, she wasn't expecting today to be the day she told her mother everything, but there never will be a good time to tell her. She didn't have her grandpa there for support either – Brittany had no idea how this was going to go down.

"You don't feel safe in Phoenix?"

Brittany shook her head. "Definitely not. Well, not anymore anyway."

"Do you want to tell me why?" Whitney asked causing Brittany to shiver a little.

"Well – okay, this is going to be hard to say because, frankly, I don't think you are going to believe me," Brittany admitted keeping her eyes on her hands finding it difficult to look up at the moment until she feels her mother take her hand.

"Brittany, please look at me."

Shaking her head, she keeps her eyes to her hands. She can't do it – she just can't look her mother in the eye when she tells her about Jason.

"I can't look at you."

She feels a squeeze of her hand. "Why can't you tell me? I'm your mother – you can tell me anything, sweetheart."

Brittany shakes her head before looking up with watery eyes. "I can't because you are going to believe him over me."

"What are you talking about?" Whitney questions, looking at the younger blonde concerned. "What happened?"

Before Brittany can say anything else, the door flings open causing her to stiffen in fear before realizing it's her grandfather. She sighs in relief when he takes a seat on the other side of his daughter's bedside.

"Sorry, I know I'm a little late but I knew I had to be here for this conversation."

Brittany raised her eyebrow questioningly. "You knew we would be talking about Jason?"

"I knew when your mother said she wanted to talk to you that it would be about moving back to Phoenix," John stated. "Your mother loves it there."

"Hello, I'm still in the room."

Brittany nods her head before looking into the familiar bright blue eyes she grew up with. "You need to know the truth about Jason, mom."

"I don't understand – where is he?" Whitney asked looking between her daughter and father. "What's happened?"

John took her hand squeezing it. "I can't let you go back to Phoenix with Brittany."

"Why not? We live there, dad." Brittany's mother explains, looking at him confused. "We can't stay here with you forever."

Brittany looked between her grandfather and mother hoping her grandfather wins this argument. Brittany is not about to go back to Phoenix no matter how much her mother wants to. How can she when every bad memory she has comes from there? She needs to stay here and be safe away from everything and everyone. With Santana and her grandpa's help she is slowly starting to live her life – she needs to feel normal right now and going back there will trigger her anxiety and that won't help anyone. She refuses to go back there and play the victim again – that life is behind her.

"Brittany, do you want to tell her?"

Looking up, the blonde nods looking at her mom with a look of despair. She didn't want to hurt her mom or make her feel as though she didn't do enough to protect her, but it needed to come out. If she was kept in the dark much longer she might try and contact Jason again and that definitely wouldn't do anyone any good.

"Mom, what I'm about to tell you will come as a shock, but it's the truth." Brittany began looking at her grandpa to see his nod of approval at what she's about to say before looking back at her mother. "I don't think you met Jason by accident."

"What do you mean?" Whitney asked. "I met him at the law firm I work at."

Brittany nods her head knowing exactly what he told her. "I know and I believe that you did meet him there – however, I don't believe he actually worked there."

The older blonde looked completely taken aback by this information. "What do you mean, Brittany? He worked there as I saw him around a few times."

"I'm not saying you are wrong, mom. Look, I know you were happy with Jason and I get that because you didn't date much after you and dad split up. The thing is, Jason has always been a bit odd to me." Brittany tried to explain, biting her lip. "He – well – he was very inappropriate when you weren't around."

Brittany didn't know how she was going to get through this – what was she meant to do if her mother didn't believe her? That was Brittany's biggest fear and she didn't want it to come true. Hiding a secret like this for so long takes a big toll on a person – things were bound to change. They already had but telling a family member is a huge step – she didn't even tell her grandpa on her own. The police told him. How the hell was she going to do this?

"You aren't making sense, Brittany."

"Just listen to her, Whitney." John requested, patting her hand. "You need to hear this to understand."

Brittany took a deep breath before trying again. "He isn't a nice man. Frankly, he's the worst man I have ever encountered. I can honestly tell you I don't believe he met you accidently. He wanted to meet you so you brought him home and the minute he saw he I think he made sure he stuck around."

"Brittany, that is an awful thing to say!" Whitney snapped giving her daughter a pointed look. "How dare you insinuate Jason only stayed with me so he could be around you. That is just – that is sick."

"He _raped_ me! I am allowed to have a fucking opinion on what that man is and you're right – he is sick!" Brittany yelled shooting out of her seat not being able to hold it in after her mother's outburst.

Silence came over the room after that moment. Brittany slowly sat down breathing heavily before feeling her grandfather's hands on her shoulders to comfort her. She had kept so much anger in that it just burst out at the wrong moment. She didn't mean to yell at her mom but she was not about to let her go back after him. He needed locking away and going to Phoenix would put them both in a dangerous situation – Brittany was not about to let that happen. Staying in Lima was definitely the best thing for them right now – especially for her own safety. She clenched and unclenched her fists a few times before calming down. She looked up slowly hearing her mother's shaky breath.

"H – How long?" Whitney asked, closing her eyes as though scared to hear the answer.

"Three and a half years," Brittany whispered looking down at her fingers. "I'm sorry."

Whitney looked towards her daughter astounded. "Why on earth are you apologizing?"

She shrugged her shoulders not really knowing the answer herself. She knew her mother loved him and only good things happen to good people so that must mean she is the bad person. Right? Why else would it happen?

"You deserve better, I guess. It must be my fault because bad things don't happen to good people."

In a second, she was pulled into a tight hug which she slowly responded to. It felt nice to be able to get hugs from her mom again after not having the opportunity for two years. It was definitely strange, but she quickly got over that. Brittany was just happy her mother believed her and didn't take his side instead.

"Sweetheart, none of this is your fault and I am so sorry for making you think I wouldn't take your side on this and that I put you in danger after I brought him home," Whitney assured her daughter, stroking her hair in the process. "I love you so much and you will always be my top priority."

Brittany clung to the woman tightly. "Don't leave me again."

Pulling back, Whitney cupped her daughter's cheeks. "I am never leaving you – ever. That man can go rot in hell for all I care."

"You believe me?" Brittany questioned in a soft whisper. "You're not taking his side?"

Whitney shakes her head. "No. If you say that's what he did to you then he did. I am in no way going to question something that serious and I'm glad you told the police because he needs locking away. I am so sorry I didn't notice before the accident because I promise you I would have gotten us out of there."

"I know and I don't blame you, mom. I just – I can't go back to Phoenix. All my bad memories are from there and I – I feel safe here." Brittany confessed pulling back feeling her eyes well up with tears. "I can't go back there."

Whitney takes Brittany's hand in her own feeling her heart break at her daughter almost crying looking absolutely terrified. She wanted to take the pain away her husband had caused, but she didn't have that power. She couldn't believe what had happened behind her back and the fact he lied to her every day when it concerned Brittany made her angry. She had to protect her baby girl and by doing that she had to make sure that bastard gets sent to prison. Pulling her daughter back into her arms, she feels Brittany tighten her grip who just wanted to feel safe again. She felt fear radiating from the younger blonde which scared her. How could she protect her daughter when she's stuck in bed?

"I'm going to keep her safe, Whitney," John stated, putting a hand on Brittany's back. "That's a promise."

Noticing her daughter's breathing even out, she strokes her hair. "How did I let this happen?"

"You couldn't have seen this coming, honey, John assured his daughter rubbing her arm. "He manipulated you into thinking he wanted you then targeted Brittany. You can't blame yourself for this."

She shook her head with tears in her eyes trying not to break down herself. "He _raped_ her, dad. He raped my little girl for three and a half years! She's never going to be the same again."

Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, he nods in agreement putting a hand on Brittany's back feeling her slow, deep breaths smiling as he watches her sleep. "You're right – she'll be a lot stronger."

The two adults watch the sleeping blonde not wanting to disturb her. After all, she has had a distressing day and the last thing she needs is to be woken up. Whitney did decide something that day. She vowed to never put her daughter in danger again. She would now be protected at all costs – no matter what the consequences were. Brittany? Well, for the first time in a while she was actually sleeping without nightmares and that was always a bonus.


	14. Fourteen

**Hey everyone. I know it's been a while yet again but I'm working my way through my unfinished stories and in the process of having them complete. I just wanted to post this to make you all aware that I won't be leaving anything unfinished! Thank you for your patience and support.**

 **Much love**  
 **xo**

xxxxxxxxxx

When Brittany wakes up from her slumber, she's not quite sure where she is. The last thing she remembers is falling asleep at the hospital next to her mother's bed, but she knew the smell and where she woke up didn't smell like one. Slowly opening her eyes, Brittany finds herself in her bedroom at her grandfather's house – it made her feel at ease instantly. Many nightmares in the past brought up fears of her waking up back in Phoenix with Jason hovering over her and it scared her to death. In Lima at least, she felt safe – plus, it did help that her grandfather and Santana lived there. Deep down, Brittany knew getting help was the best thing for her. It would help her heal from what happened in Phoenix at the hands of Jason, and even though it scared her to death, talking had to be the best thing.

Pulling back the covers, Brittany began feeling around the sheets for her phone grasping it and pulling it from under the sheets. Turning it over looking at the screen, she noticed she had a couple of messages from Santana which she missed the night before. Damn, falling asleep before texting someone you're into isn't the best idea that's for sure. Unlocking her phone, Brittany opened the messages she received from Santana realizing she must be worried after not responding the night previous – it wasn't as though she did it purposely or anything but after telling Santana about Jason she knew the girl would be pretty worked up as it is. Noticing it was a little after nine, Brittany dialed her number putting the phone to her ear hoping to god she wasn't about to wake her up. Santana may wake up early for running and stuff, but it was the weekend, and everybody enjoyed a lie in during that time, and Brittany assumed it must be the same for Santana. Who wouldn't take the privilege to give their body more sleep?

" _Brittany…_ "

The blonde couldn't help but smile at hearing the Latina's voice. It gave her a little comfort knowing she wasn't mad at her. "Hey, Santana. I'm sorry for not responding last night. I ended up falling asleep at the hospital, and I forgot to message you back."

" _Britt, it's fine, trust me. I'm just glad you're okay_ ," Santana admitted which made Brittany sigh in relief. _"And I don't think you can forget to text me back when you didn't know I messaged you._

"Okay, fine, you have a point, but you know what I meant," Brittany mumbled enjoying the sound of Santana's laughter on the other end of the phone. "I like the sound of your laugh. Is that weird?"

Santana laughed again which made Brittany's stomach churn, but in a good way. " _I would sure hope so. I would hate to know you don't like my laugh_."

Brittany liked a lot of things about Santana – not enough to make a book or anything but definitely enough to make an efficient list. After their kiss she just couldn't stop thinking about her and, in some way, she didn't want that to end. Yes, Jason was at the top of her worry list as well as her mother being in the hospital, but Santana gave her the happiness she wanted. Needed. She would never just turn around and tell her, of course, but it still made her feel good and damn, she really needed to feel good right now. She knew Santana wasn't exactly ready to just be open and public but, in some respect, Brittany felt the same way. There was too much going on to even think about a relationship, and the last thing she needed was to be open about being in a relationship with another woman in a small town. There were probably many people living around here who hate the idea of two women or two men together – homophobes. Brittany never understood the word since a phobia is being afraid of something so, basically, the word would mean having a fear of homosexual people. That literally makes no sense considering homophobes are hateful towards homosexuals. Saying that a lot of the English language made no sense.

" _Did you need me to come over after school or are you okay?_ "

Brittany shot up from her bed immediately. Was the weekend over already? She looked at the digital clock on the bedside table noticing the day and date. Monday 2nd May. "Shit, it's Monday, isn't it? I'm late!"

" _Hey, hey, relax. Your grandfather called in sick for you. I only know that as they didn't call your name out today and they only do that when someone is sick_."

Monday. School. Her grandfather called up for her. Sighing in relief once again, Brittany fell back against the bed feeling herself bounce a little as she allows herself to sink back into the mattress. He must have brought her back last night once she had fallen asleep. Of course, that would be the reason. What else could it be? What Brittany couldn't understand was why her heart happened to be pounding against her chest so much.

" _Brittany?_ "

The blonde shook her head at the horrid thought. "Sorry San – just trying to worry, that's all."

" _John will have the house secure – I'm sure of it. He wouldn't just leave it with you inside when that man is out in the open_."

Brittany laughs nervously looking around the room. "Yeah – Yeah, of course."

It wasn't that she didn't believe Santana, it's that she knows exactly what Jason is capable of. He is a predator and who knows what he had done before they met. She didn't even want to imagine it.

" _Damn it – sorry Britt I have to go. Schuester has caught_ _me on_ _my phone. Text me, okay?_ "

Britany nodded before realizing she was on the phone. "Oh – yeah – sure – no problem. Bye, Santana."

They hung up leaving Brittany alone in the room in silence. Worrying about nothing wasn't exactly her forte, but in certain situations, like this one as an example, it was required. She wasn't about to risk anything regarding Jason.

Getting up from her bed, the blonde took a quick glance in the mirror to make sure she looked reasonable enough to face other people before opening her door and walking downstairs. She heard some noises which she could only assume as her grandfather. Brittany slowed down her pace just as a precaution peeking into the kitchen to see her grandfather making breakfast. Thank the lord. She didn't have to worry just yet,

"Morning, grandpa," Brittany greeted with a smile sitting down at the table. "You didn't have to call the school for me."

The older man turned to her with a smile. "It was no trouble, honey. I know you've been going through a lot lately and I think it will be good for you to clear your head."

Brittany smiled as her grandfather put down a cup of tea in front of her. She knew he was right – having some time to clear her head would be beneficial. She wouldn't have to constantly look over her shoulder while at her locker or try and keep her emotions in check all day.

"Thank you, I appreciate that. It will definitely help to have a day at home to sort my head out." Brittany took a sip of her tea before looking down at it. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about everything. I was just – he just –"

"Hey," Brittany felt a hand on her arm causing her to realize her grandpa had joined her at the table. "You don't need to apologize for anything, sweetheart. I understand completely why you didn't want to say anything. I just wish I could have helped you earlier or figured it out for myself. I hate to even think that he touched you the way he did."

The blonde closed her eyes nodding her head. She knew he was right in a sense, but that didn't make the memories any better. She still couldn't sleep without the light on and had to double check the shower door was locked before she could even _think_ about getting undressed. Those were only a couple of things in her behavior that had come from what that man did – they are probably many other habits she had picked up too.

"You couldn't have done anything – my mom didn't even know before she got into the accident, so you had no chance." Raising her head, she ran her fingers through her hair making eye contact with her grandpa, giving him a weak smile. "I'll be okay – it will take some time as I'm still a little uneasy right now, but once he's locked up I will be fine."

John looked at Brittany and couldn't believe even after everything she still managed to try and smile. He couldn't believe what had happened to her and the fact he failed to protect her – to save her – would haunt him every day. A few years ago, when he had the horrid job of having to bury his wife, Brittany's missing appearance worried him. She had such a special relationship with her grandmother and now knowing what she had been going through back then, he really wished he called to make sure she was okay. In a way, however, he knew maybe that would have made things worse and isn't sure what to think of everything. What John did know, however, was he planned to keep her safe from here on out. That bastard would be getting nowhere near his daughter and granddaughter. That was an unspoken promise.

"I want you to come with me to the doctor today. I know you aren't sleeping well, so I want to get you on some sleeping tablets for the next week or so," John explained, squeezing her hand. "I know you are terrified to sleep because the only time you actually sleep is when you are exhausted and pass out."

"Grandpa, it's fine – honestly. I'm just fine."

John shook his head giving her a look of sympathy. "You aren't sleeping, Brittany. I can tell by the constant yawning and bags under your eyes. Honestly, I'm worried about you."

The blonde shook her head feeling her eyes tear up. "Please, don't. What if he finds me and I'm asleep, and I can't get away? You don't know what he's capable of, grandpa. I need to be conscious. I need –"

She was instantly pulled into a hug by her grandfather before she cried into his shoulder gripping his shirt. He was right, of course. She had difficulty sleeping, but it wasn't as though she kept herself awake or anything. The nightmares – or night terrors as she liked to call them – kept her awake. She would never admit it to anyone, but she was terrified. Terrified of Jason finding her again. She tried not to think about the fact he was loose in public or else it just got her all worked up, and that didn't help anybody. Her grandfather holding her did help a little in feeling safe but not a lot. Her mind was swimming with thoughts, and it wouldn't stop on one specific thing. It went from worries about Jason to school work then to a certain Latina. If only she could turn her thoughts off for a day.

"I have police surrounding this house – he will never hurt you again. I promise."

Pulling back, Brittany wiped her eyes. That was better than nothing, and it would help Jason keep his distance a little since he's wanted by the police. When all of this is over, Brittany knew she wanted to stay in Lima. There are so many memories in Phoenix – more bad than good – she couldn't even fathom going back there. Not even to go back to her life of being a popular cheerleader – even that wasn't worth the pain.

"I'm going to go back up to my room." Brittany slowly stood up giving her grandpa one last squeeze of his hand. "I'll go to the doctor if it will put you at ease. I could do with some sleep that isn't interrupted."

John nodded before standing up as well kissing Brittany's forehead putting a hand on her shoulder. "I love you, Brittany. Don't you ever forget you have a family who loves you that will help you through this."

"I know, Grandpa – I love you too."

The blonde gave her grandpa one last smile before walking out of the kitchen and up the stairs back to her bedroom. She's not been up very long, and she's already exhausted. How long could this go on for?

Closing the door behind her, Brittany knelt pulling out the box with her journal inside. She had to write something down to get some of the thoughts out of her head. It's helped before, so why wouldn't it now?

 _2_ _nd_ _May 2014_

 _Everything has happened so fast. I never thought I would have the guts to tell my family, and Santana for that matter, that I got sexually assaulted by Jason. It's brought up so many emotions inside me that I cannot explain. I found it hard to sleep before but now I know I'm going to struggle even more. Grandpa wants to put me on sleeping tablets for the time_ _being,_ _and even though the thought scares me since I've heard they can knock you out cold sometimes, I need sleep. The only reason I fell asleep last night was_ _that_ _I was surrounded by family who I trust. That doesn't happen when I'm home in my bedroom since I just think of all the ways Jason could get inside._

 _Santana. My god…she has been amazing. I have no words to explain how much she has done. I had a sort of emotional break down at_ _school,_ _and she was there straight away with the right words. I'm surprised she hasn't run for the hills already, but I must be doing something right if I'm still hanging around her. She makes me feel so_ _good,_ _and that is exactly what I need. To feel good. I may not be able to give her a real relationship right now, but I can definitely show that I care for her. I mean, I've made out with_ _her,_ _and that shows I like her. I wouldn't make out with just anybody. She's pretty hot if_ _I'm_ _totally honest. As a matter of fact, she's beautiful._

 _That's not the only thing on my mind. My mom has woken up. She seems fine from what I've_ _heard,_ _and there isn't any long-term damage I don't believe. Well, unless grandpa is keeping it a secret. Gosh, it's been so long since I got to speak to my mom that sometimes I find it surreal. I want things to go back to the way they were before Jason came along. I want my life back. I don't want to be scared for the rest of my life. What kind of life is that? Who wants to live that way?_

Closing the journal, Brittany put it back underneath the bed before laying back down on her bed. Since she's not at school, she might as well catch up on a bit of sleep as much as she can. It still terrified her, but her eyes were sore, and she must have only got a few hours last night. Brittany began to close her eyes when she remembered her grandpa was still in the house and not asleep. Shit. On second thought, with her night terrors maybe sleep wasn't a liable option.

Alright, homework it is.

After not seeing Brittany all day due to being off sick, Santana decided to stop by her house before heading back home. Jonah was waiting for her since she promised they could watch a movie tonight before he settled down to go to sleep. Her parents were working – as per usual – so it meant she could look after him then stay up as late as she wanted. Well, as long as her body would allow would probably be a better answer. Since things have been going well with Brittany – they were still kissing each other, and that must be a good thing – Santana has wanted to introduce her to Jonah. Even for an eight-year-old, his opinion mattered. Yes, he is the younger brother, but that doesn't make him any less important. She can still recall the conversation they both had about having a girlfriend who is playful, and, in Santana's opinion, Brittany fits his profile. She just knows they will get along perfectly. Maybe they will both be able to spend time with Jonah later today if she's not got any plans, of course.

After finding out about Jason, Santana has noticed just how protective she has been over the blonde. One thing she has been doing recently is looking around to try and pick up any suspicious behavior – it's obvious when someone is acting in a way that isn't normal. If she finds him at any point, Santana knows she won't be afraid to confront him and make sure he never touches another person again. Nothing too serious, of course – just a few kicks to his crotch and a couple of punches to his face. Nothing major. If he had the confidence to do it to one person, he's probably done it before and just thinking about that makes Santana disgusted.

Stepping up to the house Santana knocked on the door before being greeted by John.

"Santana – it's lovely to see you."

"Thank you, sir. I was just hoping to see Brittany if that's okay? She wasn't at school today, so."

"Of course. Just head right up the stairs. Brittany will be happy to see a familiar face," Santana walked past the man heading towards the stairs. "Oh, and Santana?"

The cheerleader turns around. "Yes?"

"No need to call me Sir – John is fine," The older man states with a smile. "Also, thank you for sticking around. I know it must be hard to see her go through this."

Santana gave the older man a nod and a smile before walking up the stairs. She was too excited to see the blonde up the stairs to be able to respond – hopefully, he didn't see it as her being rude or anything. Walking down the hallway, she ended up at Brittany's bedroom door, and with a deep breath, she knocked before entering. The blonde was currently sitting at her desk before turning around to face her with a smile. It made her stomach churn.

"Hey." Brittany greeted.

Santana grinned. "Hey. How are you?"

"Could be better but I'm feeling pretty good since you walked in."

The pair of them chuckled as Santana made her way to the bed to take a seat. Neither of them said a word – just enjoying the comfortable silence in the air. It wasn't often silence was enjoyed, however, sometimes it is nice to feel comfortable enough to just sit in the same room as someone without any communication. Santana raised her head allowing herself to admire the girl sat in the chair in front of her – nowadays she couldn't believe she had been hiding this part of herself. The way Brittany 's hair framed her face and how her eyes shined just made her look so beautiful. If it were up to her, she would spend every day with the blonde and be happy. Obviously eventually outside Lima when Brittany felt comfortable enough – her comfort was the most important part.

Well, you can imagine Santana's surprise when Brittany leaned forward and pressed their lips together. Santana wasn't sure whether to push her away or to grip on tight. She didn't want to startle Brittany in any way so, slowly, moving her hands up she cupped her face before leaning into the kiss tilting her head a little before moving her lips slightly against Brittany's. It didn't take long for the blonde to catch on. Of course, Santana knew the significance of being cautious at this time, so she decided to move her thumbs against Brittany's skin which, she noticed, got her to relax her body. Bonus.

After a few kisses here and there, the two girls pulled back leaning their heads together to calm down – more Santana than anything. She wasn't sure how Brittany made her feel the way she did. However, it wasn't something to complain about that's for sure.

"You know you have the opportunity to find something real, right?" Brittany asked, getting Santana to pull back. "You could find someone who hasn't got baggage like me. Someone who can give you the whole experience without getting freaked out."

Without a word, Santana reached over taking Brittany's hand cautiously slowly bringing it onto her lap holding it. Their fingers laced together, and even though Santana could see the blonde was struggling a little, she began to trace her fingers along the pale arm. "Do you know why I like you?"

"Well, I assumed it was due to how attractive I am."

Santana laughed nodding in response. "Well there is that, but no. Brittany, you are the most real person I have ever met. You don't try and fit in with anyone else, and the one thing I find most attractive is you don't let anyone tell you who to be. In a sense, you're the complete opposite of me. I admire that about you and, hopefully, I can be that someday."

Brittany couldn't help but keep her gaze on the girl in front of her. "You mean that?"

"Oh, trust me – I wouldn't lie to a beautiful girl."

With a blush on her cheeks, Brittany moved her thumb along Santana's skin. "You're the beautiful one."

"I know you won't be able to do all the things to want to in a relationship right now because honestly, I believe you need to heal first. But I'm going to be here for you through everything. You aren't alone, Britt – I promise you."

Santana hated how insecure Brittany felt about herself – it was as though after everything, Brittany expected her to just get up and leave when things got hard. No – that is not what Santana Lopez does. Why go through everything then leave when things get hard? The whole point of being with someone is to help them overcome the obstacles they are struggling to get over – obviously kissing and cuddling comes under that.

"Thank you, Santana. I don't know what I would do without you sometimes."

Santana shrugs standing up pulling the blonde to her feet also. "Well it's a good job you don't have to find out, isn't it?"

That caused Brittany to finally give her a smile. "I guess that is a pretty positive statement."

Laughing was a pretty good healing mechanism – it seemed to be doing Brittany wonders. Santana couldn't help but feel herself smile when Brittany did, and it definitely helped after having a conversation like the one they just did. The Latina knew she would do anything to keep the smile on her face. God knows she needed it.

"So, I was thinking you could come over to mine for the evening. I'll be babysitting Jonah but like I've told you before, I want you to meet him." Santana explained putting the bag she placed against Brittany's bed on her shoulder. "I think you two will get along great."

Brittany folded her arms and seemed to get nervous at the concept of leaving. "You think he will be okay with it? I mean – don't you want to spend the evening with just him? He is your brother."

"Well I want you to come with me too," Santana put a hand on Brittany's arm. "I want you to meet him, but if tonight isn't a good time, then we can postpone it. I haven't told him or anything so he won't know any different."

Brittany pressed her lips together in thought causing Santana to believe she was going to say no before stepping forward putting her hands onto Santana's arms, nodding. Santana wasn't sure whether to believe it, but Brittany pulled back and began putting some things into a bag which confirmed her answer. Damn, this was really happening. Brittany was going to meet her brother.

"Britt, there's no pressure," Santana began folding her arms. "I know you are going through a lot right now. I just thought it would be a good distraction."

Brittany turned her head with a smile. "I know, and I agree. I barely leave the house so, maybe, spending time with you at yours will help. It might take my mind off everything."

Santana watched as Brittany packed a bag to bring with her. It was so nice to have someone she could spend most of her time with. Quinn might be her closest friend, but outside school, they barely hung out aside from things to do with cheerleader practice. It was nice thinking she had someone to be with outside school – someone who wanted to be around her too. These days that was a rarity.

While waiting for Brittany to pack her bags, Santana looked around the room and didn't really see many things from her time from Phoenix aside from one thing. There was a picture on the wall of Brittany with two adults which she can only assume are her parents. Brittany must be, what, nine years old in that photo?

"Is this you with your parents?"

Brittany glanced in her direction before walking to stand beside her. "Yes, that's me, my mom and my dad. It was taken before their divorce."

"You must miss that – having them both in the same place."

The blonde shook her head. "I just wish my dad put more effort in since now it's as though I don't exist to him."

"Do you have any siblings?"

Brittany shakes her head. "No, or else I would have probably stayed and fought Jason myself. Family is important to me."

Santana always wondered about the life Brittany had before she moved to Lima, but at the same time, she's not sure she wants to know at the same time. Just hearing about the way Brittany says his name – that's enough to make her understand how much hate there is there. Of course, there is going to be after what he did, but deep down she believes the blonde is holding back more than she is showing. Personally, from being around Brittany the past couple of months and getting to know her, Santana has noticed behind everything Brittany put up front for people to see, she was a different person in Phoenix. A less broken version of Brittany. There is so much Santana doesn't know about Brittany that she wants to such as her family and friends she used to have. If she were to be honest with herself, Santana wants to know everything there is to know about Brittany Pierce.

"I know you don't like to talk about who you were before Lima –"

"I wasn't anyone before Lima, Santana."

Moving in front of the blonde, Santana took her hands in her own. "Okay – okay – I know you hate opening up. I just want you to know that if you ever get to the point where you want to talk about it, I'll be right here."

Brittany bites her lip looking down at the ground as though trying to avoid contact with her which, as much as it pains her, she understands. Santana is patient and gives her time to process what was just said. Brittany had been going through a lot the past few days and even mentioning the past probably wasn't the best thing she could have done. She wasn't intentionally trying to pressure the blonde since it's not as though she knew nothing. After all, Brittany did open up about her sexual abuse, and that is the last thing she expected.

"I know you want to know more, Santana. I completely get that as I've basically only told you things about me that I needed to," Brittany said, raising her head to capture her gaze. They looked at each other for a few seconds before Brittany pulled a hand back to cup Santana's cheek with a small smile. "Just be patient, okay? You mean a great deal to me and that's a lot more than what I can say about some people. When I'm ready, I'll tell you all about my life in Phoenix."

With that, Brittany pulled away kissing her cheek and picked her bag up. "Just remember – patience is a virtue."

"I've gone this far on the bare minimum, so I think I'll be okay," Santana responds picking up her own bag placing it on her shoulder. "I care for you a lot and, honestly, you've told me one of your biggest secrets. I know you trust me."

There was a silence in the room. Neither girl said a word – only looked at one another. It was as though no words needed to be said after the conversation – they were both on the same page.

"Ready to go?"

Brittany took Santana's hand leading them towards the bedroom door.

"Yeah – let's go meet your brother."

"Tana!"

Brittany couldn't help but allow a smile to form on her face seeing the young boy get so excited to see Santana. Well, she doesn't blame him – if she had a sister or brother she is guessing she'd act the same way. The pair of them hadn't even stepped inside before Santana was pretty much tackled by her younger brother. Brittany could tell they were related just seeing them together.

"Hey, buddy!" Santana greeted, ruffling his hair and laughing when he starts to moan about her touching his hair. "I'd like you to meet someone."

The young boy turns his gaze to her. "Are you Tana's girlfriend?"

Brittany's eyes widen, but she shakes her head out of the initial shock putting her bag down. "No, no, I'm not her girlfriend. I'm her – friend. I'm Brittany."

"Brittany? Are you staying for movie night?" Jonah asked, a grin on his face. "Tana never brings friends home."

Santana chuckles beside her. "I don't have any friends good enough for you, buddy."

Jonah runs off into the living room holding up a DVD he picked up from the couch. "Finding Nemo."

Hearing the title caused Brittany's stomach to drop. Finding Nemo is Isla's favorite movie – they used to watch it all the time back when they were dating. She didn't want Santana or Jonah to notice though, so she kept the smile on her face even if she didn't really feel like it. It was bound to bring back so many memories.

"Again?" Santana asked turning her gaze to Brittany. "Sorry, he loves Disney. Big fan."

"Actually, I'm a pretty big fan myself – can't go wrong with a good Disney movie," Brittany responded ignoring her inner thoughts walking into the living room sitting on the couch Jonah was stood in front of. "Finding Nemo, eh? That's one of my favorites."

"Really?" Jonah asked, sitting beside the blonde. "What's your favorite? Mine is this one."

Brittany taps her chin pretending to think. "I would have to say The Lion King."

"But that's so sad! I cry every time I watch it!" Jonah said, jumping up to put the DVD in. "I like the songs, though."

Brittany smiled looking up at Santana who gives her a look of approval. She didn't really have much experience with being around children, but from what she can see she can't be doing too bad. Jonah hasn't given her any sign that he dislikes her and that's the main thing. Brittany wanted Jonah to like her because she knows how important he is to the Latina – it would do no good if he dislikes her. Saying that she had been told by a few people back in Phoenix how likeable she is so maybe that helps when connecting with people she doesn't know.

"Well I suppose it's a good job you're picking the movies then, isn't it?" Brittany said, winking at the younger boy. "I'll leave that job to you."

Jonah nodded his head with a look of seriousness on his face. "Yes, I think we best leave it to me. I'll let you pick if I want to cry."

Brittany couldn't help but chuckle to herself before feeling the sofa dip a little as Santana joined her. She looked to the side capturing Santana gaze with a smile forming on her lips watching Santana smiling back. Brittany had to be honest – she was looking forward to a relaxing night with Santana and her brother. It was a night she had been waiting for.

"I hope you don't mind sharing my attention with Jonah," Santana whispered. "We have a close relationship, so he will cuddle me as we watch."

"Oh no that's completely fine. I wouldn't want to interfere as it is your night. I'm just a plus one so to say," Brittany said, winking at the girl leaning back on the couch. "I'll just be watching the movie, trust me."

"I'm not sure whether to be offended by that."

"No, you don't need to be offended. Seriously, I'm here to enjoy tonight as much as you and your brother. It'll be nice to relax for once."

Jonah finished putting the DVD in before joining them on the sofa sitting right between them which Brittany had expected. She wasn't sure what she expected when she found out Santana had a brother, but it was different than who he was as a person. He is such a joyful child, and it takes her back to when she was like that – happy without any worries. Brittany missed it. Shaking her head, Brittany turned her attention to the tv as the movie began.

It didn't take long until Brittany's attention diverted to Santana. Her gaze slowly drifted away from the movie to Santana and the way she was leaned back on the couch – relaxed and content. Brittany's arm was on the back of the couch meaning her fingers were close to Santana's neck. She couldn't resist trailing a finger down the back of her neck – it made it easier since Santana's hair was still tied up in a ponytail after being at school all day. The motion caused Santana's attention to move from the movie to her. It didn't stop Brittany's motions on her neck, but it caused them both to keep their gazes on one another. Brittany loved the shade of Santana's eyes – she could look into them forever if that was possible.

Reverting her gaze once again, Brittany reached up pulling the headband out of Santana's hair watching as it flowed over her shoulders. Gosh, it looked gorgeous. She couldn't help but run her fingers through it enjoying the softness before looking back at Santana who seemed to be enjoying the contact between them as much as her. Now would be the perfect time for Jonah to move to the other side of Santana but he seemed fixed on the TV with no plan to move. That was the thing about not being alone with someone you like – if a moment comes along, you can't do anything about it. Brittany knew Santana didn't have the heart to move him.

"Can I talk to you about something?" Brittany asked, making sure not to talk too loud due to the movie playing. She didn't want to interrupt Jonah's choice of movie.

"Of course – what's on your mind?"

Brittany bit her lip looking at the tv for a few moments in thought. "I think I – no, I need – I need to see someone. You know, therapy-wise."

Her question made Santana's focus turn to her which, in some respect, was a good thing. It just made Brittany nervous.

"Are you sure you're ready for that, Brittany? I mean, you have to want to go, if you get me. It's not easy."

"I know, but I don't mean right away," Brittany states, resting her hand on the back of Santana's neck, playing with the small hairs at the top of her neck. "It's just – I mean – I do want to help myself. Once Jason is locked up and I know I can relax, I will think about going then. I just wanted your opinion."

"My opinion won't matter that much, Britt."

Brittany shook her head with a smile. "Your opinion matters to me."

"Well I will support you if that's what you want to do," Santana said, trailing her fingers over Brittany's arm. "I do think it will be good for you, especially when it comes to your nightmares."

Brittany wasn't sure what to think – there are still a lot of things she doesn't understand. Ever since she ran away from Phoenix to live with her grandfather, she had done research such as how to cope and how to keep on going. Brittany knew every person who has been abused in their life coped differently so they will go through experiences she won't and vice versa. One thing she can't get her head around is how she is comfortable with Santana and how Santana is able to touch her. From what she has read elsewhere, most people can't stand the thought of someone touching them as it freaks them out. If Santana were a man, Brittany knows it would be a different story as then she would be reminded of Jason. Maybe that's what is going on – men are the ones who can't touch her. However, that wouldn't explain why her grandfather was able to unless it's different because of the trust between them. Gosh, just thinking about all of this makes Brittany's head hurt.

"I suppose it's just something I need to think about some more."

"Tana and Brittany! Ssh!"

The two girls chuckled before putting their focus back on the tv. Santana squeezed her arm once more before wrapping her arm around Jonah allowing him to cuddle up to her. Brittany, on the other hand, couldn't turn her mind off. There was one question in particular she wanted – no – _needed_ the answer to.

Where the hell was Jason?


	15. Fifteen

After many days of waiting, Brittany's mother would finally be leaving the hospital. The doctors had run multiple tests and found nothing, so they had no reason to keep her any longer. It was music to their ears as far as the Pierce's were concerned. Brittany couldn't wait to be able to spend more time with her mother outside the hospital since most of their conversations had most likely been on CCTV or something, which made her a bit uneasy. There's nothing worse than feeling anxious that someone is watching you, so the fact the only recording which would happen would be from family members made her feel a lot calmer. It would also be nice to have dinner as a family again – it had been so long since they had even sat in the same room, never mind sitting at the same table.

They all decided that staying at John's house was the best option for her. It kept her close to the hospital in case anything happened, and John could keep an eye on his daughter. Okay, so maybe it wasn't the best thing for Whitney herself since it would feel as though she's being constantly watched, but better than Jason getting his hands on her. The police were looking everywhere but had come up empty so far which didn't help Brittany feel better. The one thing she wanted most was for Jason to be locked up and away from all civilization. He didn't deserve to have the privilege of being able to walk free amongst everybody else. Only innocent people get that privilege, and he'd long passed that.

With the news of her mother being released from the hospital in her mind, Brittany was ecstatic. The whole situation meant one less thing to worry about, and in addition, it meant her mother was protected by the police surrounding the house. The police were doing 24/7 surveillance around the house giving her grandfather updates whenever he asked. Brittany did feel bad about them being taken from their regular duties, but her grandfather just reminded her of Jason and she'd be put back on track once again. Plus, the police were pretty nice whenever she spoke to them around town – they had no issues with protecting her family. It was their job.

Brittany stood to the side holding the door open as her grandfather helped her mother inside the house. There weren't many rooms in the house, but he did have a spare room which, funnily enough, happened to be her old room from years ago when she lived here. Brittany made up the room at the request of her grandpa while he went and picked up her mother – she had to admit it was all exciting and couldn't wait to actually spend time as a family again. As a real family, not the one they had when they lived in Phoenix with Jason. His version of family time was sitting in the living room with them while he glanced in her direction making Brittany feel uneasy until she excused herself to go upstairs. It still makes her shiver.

"Dad, I'm fine. You can let go of me now," Whitney said, pulling her arm out of his grip. "I'm not dying."

"I know, darling. I'm just happy you are finally out of the hospital. At least here I can protect you."

"I highly doubt he is going to come after me," Whitney walked into the living room to sit on the couch leaning back to relax. "I do, however, think I should stay here for the next half an hour. I forgot how comfy your furniture is."

It felt like a dream seeing her mom sitting in the living room. After imaging this moment for years, it all felt surreal – as though they were taking a step forward for once instead of going backwards. She hadn't felt this gleeful for a while now, and it was fantastic. Maybe things would start going better for once. With that in mind, Brittany walked into the living room and sat beside her mother for the first time in about three years.

"Have you been happy here?" Whitney asked, turning to face her daughter.

"I've not been happier in some time, so coming here and feeling a sense of safety which I didn't feel when I lived with – you know. It was hard to get used to," Brittany explained leaning her arms on her legs. "I've always had a sense of fear while I've been here, but I'm slowly drifting away from that. Well, kind of anyway."

Whitney put her hand on Brittany's arm. "I'm sorry I didn't protect you. God, I am still in a state of shock since you told me. I just can't believe he did that to you and in our home too!"

"Mom, don't work yourself up," Brittany said, sitting up putting her hand on her mother's. "I'm just happy you are okay and alive – that's all I care about."

"You know, you were always the one who looked after me – I was so stressed with work, but now it's my turn like I should have done from the beginning," Whitney cupped Brittany's cheek with a smile kissing her forehead. "I love you for being so strong, and I promise you, I will make sure he gets thrown in jail if it's the last thing I do."

With that statement in the air, Brittany couldn't help but wrap her arms around her mom in a hug. After wanting to hear something like that for so long, it meant the world to her. Hearing her say she was on her side had to be the best thing Brittany had heard since she honestly believed she would take Jason's. Yes, that probably sounded bad but Jason is a very manipulative person and always turned everyone against her, and that was the worst part. If he had the chance to talk to say anything to her mother, he would do anything to make her believe him. It was one of the worst things about living with him since she always felt so alone and this was even before he put her mom in the hospital.

"I'm glad you're back," Brittany whispered in her ear before kissing her cheek pulling back. "I can't stay as I have to go to school, but I'll be back later."

"Okay, sweetie. Let me know when you're coming home. I can't wait to hear about your day."

Brittany grinned nodding before walking out of the living room to hug her grandpa before leaving.

"Brittany?"

The blonde turned around with a smile. "Yes, Grandpa?"

"Just – be safe, okay? We don't know where _he_ is, so it's better to be extra vigilant."

"I'll make sure I keep an eye out, grandpa. I promise."

With that in mind, Brittany left the house making her way towards the school. She refused to go to school until she knew her mother got back safe and sound. Luckily, her grandpa called the school to let them know she was going to be late. She had enough of being away locked up in the house since it meant she was failing at school. If anything, Brittany wanted to do well. Failing wasn't an option.

It never took long to get to school, and by the look of the students, it was break time. Thank god – that meant Brittany wouldn't have to just walk into class late and get a bunch of looks from everyone. Without another glance at everyone, Brittany made her way to the reception. Surely, she would have to sign in or something so it'd be best to get that out of the way before break ends.

Walking through the school doors, Brittany made her way down the hallway but not before stopping off at her locker. She hadn't been at school for a few days, so all her books were still in her locker thankfully. Looking at the schedule taped to the inside, she took the books out for History closing it back up carrying them in her grasp making her way once again to reception.

"Brittany!"

Turning her head, she saw Santana walking in her direction wearing the Cheerleader uniform. Damn, she looked hot.

"Hey, Santana. I'm just heading to the reception." Brittany stated turning to face the Latina. "You look – wow."

Santana blushed giggling. "You say that every time you see me in it."

"Because you look hot, San," Brittany responded shrugging her shoulders. "I know what it's like though, trust me. I used to be a Cheerleader."

"No way! I had no idea." Santana looked as shocked as Brittany imagined. "Back in Phoenix?"

Brittany smirked with a nod. "Where else? I didn't have time to do it in my free time. Well, technically it was in my free time as it's an extra-curricular, but you catch my drift."

With a look of surprise, Santana couldn't believe Brittany was opening up to her already. They had literally only spoken about her opening up a few days ago and had definitely not expected her to do it already. "Well you told me to be patient, and here you are telling me about Phoenix. Any reason?"

"Well I suppose you caught me on a good day," Brittany said, grinning. "My mom got out of the hospital today. I cannot even begin to tell you how happy this makes me!"

"Brittany, that's fantastic!" Santana said, not being able to keep the smile off her face when Brittany is stood in front of her with the biggest smile on her own face. She knew about Mrs Pierce being in the hospital after she ended up at the hospital with Brittany. "I'm so happy for you."

"Gosh Santana, I've not been this happy since I met you," Brittany said aloud before pressing her lips together in embarrassment. "Sorry – I – err – totally didn't mean to say that out loud."

Brittany cannot believe she just said that to Santana herself. What was she thinking? In her defense, her mouth started to move before she could think about what to say, but still. Distraction. That's what she needed.

"Glee Club!"

Santana raised an eyebrow. "What about it?"

"Well, you see –"

"Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear you talking to Santana here about Glee Club."

Rachel Berry. Why did she have to interrupt? Brittany just found her incredibly annoying. Who needed to talk as much as she did? No one. With a roll of her eyes, she turned to face the brunette.

"Okay, one, you just interrupted a conversation I was having with Santana. That is incredibly rude, and the fact you were eavesdropping is even ruder." Brittany stated glaring at the brunette. "But since you are here already you may as well say what you want to say."

That was all Rachel needed for her to go on about Glee Club, Brittany was only half listening due to how fast she was talking. She took a glance at Santana who was trying not to laugh by the looks of it. She couldn't believe she was being subjected to Rachel's rambling right now – how the hell do people pay attention to her, especially her boyfriend. Well, according to what she's heard she's dating Finn Hudson, but whether that's true or not is a different story.

"-and that is why you should join Glee Club. If you are interested, you should come to the choir room at 3pm today to audition."

Shit, she missed everything Rachel had to just said. Probably for the best though. "Alright, Rachel. I'll come by later."

"Excellent. I'll see you both later in Glee Club."

Brittany looked at Santana with a look of astonishment once Rachel had walked away. "I did not get a word she just said."

"All you need to know is to be at the choir room at 3pm. Everything else hobbit just said was garbage anyway."

"You just weren't listening either," Brittany said with a smirk on her face. "Just admit it."

Santana bit her lip. "Alright fine. I wasn't listening, but in my defense, she talks way too fast."

Brittany chuckles nudging her shoulder. "C'mon – you can walk me to the reception. I want to sign in before everyone starts crowding the corridors."

The both of them walk down the corridor together ignoring all of the other students around them. Brittany was surprised when she felt Santana's hand brush up against her own so, as a compromise since she knew Santana wasn't ready for anything public, Brittany linked their pinkie fingers together. They still had contact, but it wasn't full blown holding hands. It avoided bringing attention to the pair of them which neither of them needed right now. It felt – nice. Right.

"Thank you," Santana whispered.

Brittany kissed her cheek. "Anytime."

The rest of the day seemed to fly by pretty quickly compared to the previous few. It wasn't that she enjoyed school because, like most teenagers, she hated it, but it was nice to get a break from things happening at home. Yes, her mother was now back home, but that didn't mean things had magically become simple. Nothing in life was ever simple – especially things you want. In retrospect she should be all nervous due to having to dance in front of Glee Club at 3pm today, however, she had to admit, she was pretty excited. After leaving Phoenix, she hadn't really danced and that had been one of the main contributors to her happiness, aside from dating Isla. It was also one of the things that kept her sane through those three and a half years. Plus, it kept her out of the house which was the best part.

With her free period, which luckily fell on the last lesson of the day, Brittany decided to go and practice in the Auditorium for the hour. She didn't have trouble with dancing at all, and a lot of the time she could easily think up a routine on the spot. Nevertheless, she hadn't danced in a good few months, so she had to practice. Brittany did that in her free time back when she didn't have to practice, so now it was very important. Ever since she was a child, dancing had been something she had been naturally gifted at. Her parents picked up on it and decided on putting her in dance classes and ever since then she had a passion for it. She used to dance in her room until high school when she joined the cheerleading squad – she then had a reason to dance in public. All those lessons she got from her parents were able to be put to good use.

Brittany had been flicking through her phone trying to pick a song to dance to, and it wasn't as though she had a lot of time. It wouldn't matter about the song that much since she has danced without music before. For now, she picked a random song putting her earphones in moving around the stage beginning to dance. She can't deny it felt great to be able to move her body the way she used to. The way her feet moved across the stage so naturally and how her body moved in time with the beat – it didn't keep the smile from her face. On a dance floor or just dancing in general was where Brittany felt her most natural and happiest. Yes, she would have to get used to dancing in front of an audience since back when she was cheerleading she wasn't dancing in front of an audience per say – the entire squad danced with her. Brittany was pretty adaptable though, so it wouldn't take much.

After she finished her final move, Brittany made her way to her bag getting the bottle of water she had in there prepared. She couldn't believe she hadn't lost the skill she once had, and even though she felt more tired afterwards, it didn't mean she wasn't any good. As a matter of fact, considering the break she had from dancing, Brittany thought she did pretty well. More than pretty well actually – fantastic. She needed to work on a few things, but that was expected after having time away from anything you happen to be good at.

"You're a natural."

Looking up, Brittany noticed a boy stood on the steps holding his backpack strap. He seemed to be a member of the football team by his McKinley letterman jacket. That was literally the only thing that related to football since, overall, the boy is skinny. Muscular, maybe, but skinny.

"Sorry, I don't think I've met you before," Brittany said, standing in the middle of the stage with her hands on her hips. "I don't really appreciate being spied on either."

He put his hands out in defense. "That was not my intention. I heard movement in here, and the only person who comes in here is usually Rachel Berry. I'm glad I caught you dancing though because I've not seen dancing like that since, well, me."

"Well, you think highly of yourself."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just honest. Sorry, I should probably introduce myself. Mike Chang. I play on the football team as well as being a dancer in Glee Club."

Another dancer? Well, that was new. Brittany hardly heard of people dancing when she was in Phoenix, never mind in Lima. Well, not anyone who would openly admit it anyway. Places like Lima are pretty closed-minded and being different isn't exactly seen as a good thing. She wouldn't be surprised if he were subjected to a slushy facial himself. Most football players weren't nice people.

"I assume you get the occasional slushy facial too. I got one when I started here, and I've heard about it from numerous people."

"I have, but honestly that's the worst thing we get," Mike said. "It's easy as you can just keep spare clothes in your locker. It's worth it to be able to do what you want. Dancing is a passion of mine and, from what I just saw, it's one of yours too."

"Since I learnt to dance. I got to kind of dance on the cheerleading squad back at my old school, but that's not like the real thing." Brittany admitted, and she was being truthful. Cheerleading may be nice, but it wasn't like dancing for real and going freestyle. A lot of it was usually rehearsed time and time again to perfection until she had enough and wanted to leave. Well, that's what it was like back in Phoenix with the coach they had. "I've not done any freestyle dancing for some time, so I came in here to practice. I have an audition for Glee Club at 3pm today."

"Did you want some company? I mean, I could help you out with some moves."

Brittany wasn't sure whether to accept since she didn't really know this guy, however, it would be nice to have a bit of help with a decent routine. With the last thought in mind, she nodded her head motioning Mike over.

"I could use some help, thank you."

Mike made his way up onto the stage slinging his backpack on the floor. "We'll make a routine that will shock everyone in that room. I'm one of the only people in Glee Club that can dance, so it will be nice to have some help."

"Then let's get to it. I'm Brittany by the way."

The two of them gave each other a smile before starting to work on some dance choreography together. Even though Brittany didn't trust men that much, she had to admit that Mike seemed pretty cool and was an amazing dancer like he had mentioned.

Brittany hadn't even planned on joining the Glee Club, but after the day she'd had it felt nice to be able to allow herself to do something she loved. Deep down there was a list of reasons why she shouldn't, but they had been taken over by the reasons why she should. Her grandfather had told her to keep her guard up and she will – just right now she didn't exactly need to. There were plenty of people around that it was highly unlikely he would be able to get into the school unnoticed. Also, if Brittany was to be honest with herself, she was tired of being on the lookout all the time. It was tiring. Jason had taken away a number of years from her teenage years, and she was not going to allow him to take any more. For once, it was time to do something just because she wanted to.

Brittany couldn't remember the last time she had done that.

After an hour of rehearsal, Mike offered to walk with Brittany to the choir room for her audition. He was currently talking about all the dances he couldn't wait to do with another dancer joining, but she had blanked out not long afterwards. Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all. There were so many things that could possibly go wrong and even though it was about time she did things for herself, it didn't ease the worries. How could it? Looking back, Brittany couldn't remember the last time she was truly relaxed. Ever since she left Phoenix, and when she was there even, her mind was constantly switched on. Sleeping was an issue due to the nightmares which meant no escape even at night. Dancing was the only thing Brittany had that made her remotely happy, and the fact she was considering ignoring that to continue hiding – for once. Brittany knew what to do.

The two dancers stopped in front of the glee club choir room giving Brittany a chance to breathe before stepping into a room full of people she didn't really know. The only thing keeping from breaking down is Santana would be watching, and it kept her mind at ease. She didn't know who these people were really which, in some sense, made dancing in front of them easier. However, it also meant many of these people would want to get to know her, and that made the blonde nervous. Very nervous.

"How are you feeling?" Mike leaned against the wall noticing how tense she must be looking currently. "It's not as bad as it may seem, you know – you'll do great, Brittany."

"I don't believe that as much as you may think. There are a bunch of people in there ready to judge me on my dancing ability. A lot of them I don't know, and I don't plan on getting to know any of them either." Running both hands through her hair, Brittany let out a sigh while her hands ending up on her hips as her lips press together. "I want to do this, but it scares the shit out of me, Mike. I've not danced in front of an audience in a good two years. Not properly anyway."

"Well, this will be good practice for you then, yes?"

"Practice isn't something I'm very fond of. I'm usually in no need of practice as my body knows the way to move without me thinking too much. I prefer it that way." Even though most of what Brittany said was true, it doesn't mean she believed a word she was saying. "I guess I'm just a little nervous. I don't know anyone in there."

"Trust me – those people will become some of your best friends." Mike patted Brittany's shoulder causing her to flinch away slightly before collecting herself. She could do this. "Now, are you ready? I'll be right there dancing with you."

Glancing at Mike, Brittany nodded before opening the door walking into the choir room. Like she imagined, Brittany felt all eyes on her since all of the other glee club students were there already. Making eye contact with Santana, it helped her feel at ease as the Latina usually did when they were together.

"Brittany, I hear you are looking to join Glee Club."

Well, it wasn't as though she'd been actively looking since she'd practically tried to avoid it to begin with. "Yeah, I guess so. I've settled in a little now, so I'm ready to take up an extra-curricular. I can dance, and since I don't want to be a cheerleader, I thought this was the next best thing."

"Well, it will be brilliant to have you. We do require all members to audition, so have you got anything planned?"

Without saying anything, Brittany walked over to the band whispering what song she wanted to be played before making eye contact with Mike who understood instantly. They had a routine all planned out and, from what they had rehearsed earlier, it was going to be a damn good performance. Well, that's her opinion anyway. After going through a few songs, she had decided to go for the song 'Summer of Love' by one of her guilty pleasure bands. Growing up, Brittany had listened to a variety of music, however, out of all of it _Steps_ stood out and their music was perfect for dancing to. She remembers spending hours up in her room dancing and making up her own choreography. It was one of her favorite past times as a child – she had never told anyone about the music though. It was as though out of everything she shared with her friends, this was the one thing nobody else knew.

As the band began to play, she and Mike got into the choreography they had rehearsed back in the auditorium. It felt so good to move her body like she did earlier. Her hips moved as though they had for years and her feet and body moved along with them. Mike knew exactly what to do in rhythm with her moves which helped. Even though she felt the music through her whole body, Brittany couldn't help but look up and notice Santana focusing all her attention on her instead of looking at Mike. From where Brittany was standing, Santana's focus didn't divert from her, and it made her feel amazing. Seeing the effect she had on the Latina made her want to do better. She was doing great already of course, but the attention made her want to keep going – everything about Santana did and not just in the dancing sense either.

As a partner, Mike was pretty good. Due to her trust issues, they didn't touch. Mike didn't seem bothered about that prospect anyway. He seemed to enjoy the dancing they were doing which made a change from the guys back in Phoenix. Anyway, you don't need to touch someone to dance – it is possible to have a dance partner who is only there to dance with you. Brittany would know after dancing for many years.

Once the song came to an end, there was a cheer from the Glee Club with clapping also. Mr Schue joined in with the rest of them and, for once, Brittany felt great. Fantastic even. Today had to be a good day and Brittany didn't want it to end. Capturing eye contact with Santana, she got a smile and a nod of the head in appreciation which had to be the best thing. Santana enjoyed it which was enough.

"Wow – you guys killed that," Mr Schue walked up to them as the clapping and cheering died down slowly. "Brittany, I don't know where you have been hiding that talent the past few months, but you're in. I don't think anyone would say no after that performance. Welcome to Glee Club."

Without another word, Brittany sat down in the spare seat Santana had beside her. She didn't want to make a big deal about it and just wanted to hear Santana's thoughts on her performance. She could see from her body language and facial expressions the Latina had enjoyed it, however, sometimes words can be nice to hear.

"So," Brittany whispered as Mr Schue began to talk, "what did you think?"

"What did I _think_? Damn, Brittany. I have no words to express how much I loved that performance," Santana leaned back in her seat fidgeting a little trying to look like she was actually listening when, in actual fact, all she could focus on was the blonde sitting beside her. "You were fantastic – brilliant – just, wow."

"Hey, that's my line," Brittany teased poking the Latina in the arm. "I don't permit that, Miss Lopez."

Santana raised her eyebrow. "What you gonna do about it, Pierce?"

"Oh, you'll see – trust me."

Santana winked in her direction causing Brittany's stomach to flip. "Can't wait."

With a grin, Brittany turned to the front when her phone vibrated. It was probably her grandpa or mom wondering where she was – she hadn't exactly told them about joining Glee Club. Unlocking her phone, Brittany's phone went white. Ignoring the feeling inside and how dramatic her actions were going to be, she grabbed her backpack before running out of the room as quickly as possible. She heard Santana yelling her name, but she had to get home. He wasn't going to get her this time.

 **From Jason: I told you not to** **tell,** **but** **apparently,** **your mom's life isn't that important to you. I'll see you shortly, Brittany.**


	16. Sixteen

You know in movies when you're watching one of the characters run down a road in slow motion? Yeah, Brittany can now relate to that character. Not thinking straight, she ended up running out of school holding her backpack on one shoulder running towards her house. Consequences weren't what she was thinking of, and it didn't matter how the police were surrounding the house. Working it out there were approximately five or so minutes every day where the police change shifts meaning they are unfocused, so it was completely plausible for Jason to sneak past them. Brittany was not about to risk anything in regards to her mom – she'd lost her once already and having to go through that again wasn't an option. She just – no. It wasn't an option.

Running down the street where her grandpa lives, she rushed up to the door noticing it was locked. Of course – her grandpa had started locking it for precaution. Glancing around quickly to make sure there was no sign of Jason, she unlocked the door rushing inside. Looking around she saw no sign of anyone which was strange since with her mother just being released meant someone was always bound to be in.

"Grandpa?" Brittany shouted walking through the house in a panic. "Mom?"

No response. Running her fingers through her hair, she began to panic a little. What if Jason already got to them? What was she supposed to do? There was no plan put in place for when you come back to both your guardians missing – especially the people who your rapist stepfather knows about. Standing in the middle of the hallway on the top floor, Brittany took a breath. She knew panicking wasn't going to help anyone and it was better for everyone if she were calm. You can think a lot more logically when panic hasn't taken over which is something Brittany needs right now.

The door clicked open making Brittany freeze instantly. Shit, she didn't lock the door. Keeping her back against the wall with a hand over her mouth, she listened to try and identify who was downstairs. Her heart was currently pounding against her chest making it harder to listen. She couldn't concentrate. Fear had taken over, and it made it incredibly difficult to focus.

"Brittany?" Her grandpa called up. "Is that you? The door was unlocked."

Letting out a breath she had been holding, Brittany ran down the stairs launching herself at her grandfather holding him tight. Looking behind him, her mother stood there with a look of worry on her face. Thank god – she's okay. Jason hadn't got to her. She's still in the same condition as earlier. No new marks. No bruises. Completely fine. Pulling away from her grandpa, Brittany walked over to her mother with a tearful smile pulling her close. Arms around her neck, Brittany hugged her tight feeling arms go around her waist hugging back. Safe. That's how she felt right now, and it had been a long time coming. Everyone's fine. No one is missing.

"Hey, what's the matter, sweetheart?" Whitney pulled back cupping her daughter's cheeks wiping away the tears from her eyes. "What happened?"

Brittany shook her head pulling back to look at her mother then her grandpa and back again. "Jason contacted me."

"What?" John looked at Brittany alarmed. Why would he be messaging her? Jason is on the run from the police, and he still manages to contact the one person who fears him the most. "What did he say, Brittany?"

"Back when he began abusing me, Jason told me if I told anyone what he was doing he would make sure I never saw mom again. I never thought he would actually hurt her, but that went out the window after the accident," Brittany retreated into herself a little folding her arms looking at the floor. "He messaged me when I was in Glee saying apparently mom's life isn't that important to me and he would see me shortly."

Without a word, John stormed out of the house to go and talk to the police out there while Brittany and Whitney were left in the house. Keeping her gaze on the ground, Brittany didn't know what to do. After that message, it was clear to her now Jason was getting closer, and that meant her fear level rising once again. She just wanted this to be over. What did she do so wrong that this was her given life? Brittany knew she was a good person compared to many other people she'd met, so why her? Brittany felt a hand on her shoulder which caused her to flinch a little but calmed down when her gaze lifted to her mother's. She looked so worried right now, and that was down to her. She didn't mean it, but how long could they go on with Jason chasing them? Well, it was more him chasing her, but still.

"Brittany, he isn't going to get you, I promise."

Pulling back, Brittany shook her head. "You don't know that. You have no clue how bad he turned when you were in a coma, mom. You haven't seen his capability the way I have and how dark he is."

"Brittany…"

"No, don't you dare try and comfort me and tell me things are going to be okay. Don't you _dare_." Brittany snapped with tears threatening to leave her eyes. "You have no idea what it was like every day for me. You think he's been after you all this time? Bullshit. He has been after me because he misses the control he had over me."

No words were spoken between the two Pierce women. Brittany felt as though every emotion she had been feeling the past three years was escaping and she couldn't hold it back. She didn't want to either. Everything coming out needed to be said and even though she knew it wasn't her mom's fault, she needed to yell. Scream. Let out all the anger. Brittany couldn't hold it back any longer.

Whitney tried to step closer, but Brittany retracted once more. She needed space. Having someone comfort you when you're angry had to be the worst thing as it was just going to make her angrier. She, once again, ran her fingers through her hair trying to calm down. If there were one thing that could be said, it would be how Jason ruined everything she had. The confident Brittany disappeared when he came along and, day by day, he broke her down. Now all that was left is this scared girl who looked over her shoulder wherever she went. Is that fair? No. Jason knew exactly what he was doing, and she would hate him forever for it.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you, Brittany. I will hate myself every day for it because he has turned you into this scared little girl who doesn't trust anyone. You flinch whenever anyone touches you unexpectedly. You don't think I have noticed the changes in you?" Whitney steps forward a little trying to gain eye contact with her daughter. "I love you, and when you were born I swore to protect you, and I haven't done that. I'm trying my best, sweetheart."

"Every night that bastard came into my room. Every. Single. Night. He covered my mouth so you wouldn't hear my screams and threatened me so I wouldn't tell you. It only got worse after you were in the hospital as he could do whatever he wanted without you there to possibly interrupt," Brittany explained with a cold tone. "He has so much control over me I couldn't fight back. You can't protect me. No one can. That's a fact, too."

She didn't mean to be so angry with her mother, but it was as though she couldn't hold it back anymore. Every emotion was seeping out of her, and after keeping it in for so long, it had literally just burst out of her. Her mom isn't the one at fault since Jason hurt her too, but she just happened to be the person in the room when her anger let loose. Thank god it wasn't someone like Santana standing in front of her. In some way, Brittany knew her mother understood.

"Alright – I get it – you're angry. You have every right to be too but, sweetie, don't yell at me because of it." Whitney knew telling Brittany she understood had to be the worst thing to do since, technically, she didn't. She did, however, know what it was like to be controlled by another person since he did the same thing to her in that prospect. "I know I can't protect you all the time, but I can try my best. You think your grandpa is going to allow you to get caught by him? He just went to tell the police about that text message, and I know he will do anything to protect you too."

"I don't think you need your mother to tell you that either."

Brittany nodded putting her hands in her jean pockets. "I know she's right, grandpa. Doesn't mean I can't be angry."

"We're not expecting you to bury that anger you feel. Both of us know how upset and angry you are over what happened since no one was there to save you from him. This time is different – everyone is out looking for him. He won't get away with what he did."

Retreating back, Brittany knew her grandfather was right. The man wasn't going to get away this time – he had no chance. Well, it had to be something she believed for now because otherwise, the fear would drive her insane.

The vibration of her phone made her jump in surprise. Taking it out she saw Santana calling and even though she didn't really want to explain what happened, she knew it would be better if she did. Santana knew the situation after all.

"Sorry, excuse me," Brittany mumbled before walking up to her room putting the phone to her ear. "Santana…"

" _Brittany, are you okay? You're at home, right? Seriously, you scared the shit out of me earlier when you ran out! Just tell me you're alright._ "

Brittany bit her lip closing the bedroom door. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I'm not harmed, don't worry. I just – had to come home."

" _He hasn't found you, has he?_ " Santana asked, causing a shiver to run up Brittany's spine. " _I'll call the police right this second and I'll –_ "

"Santana, I'm fine. Honest. I got home earlier, and at first, I did think Jason had got in, but it turned out to be my mom and grandpa."

" _So, you're safe?_ "

Brittany's lips turned upward. She hasn't felt this cared for by someone who wasn't her family since Isla and, if she were to be honest with herself, it felt nice. "I'm safe, don't worry."

Santana sighed on the other end of the phone. " _I do worry, Britt. I'm terrified I'm going to wake up one_ _day,_ _and someone is going to inform me you're missing. I don't want him touching you again._ "

"Trust me, I don't want him touching me again either." Brittany laid down on her bed resting her free arm on her forehead shivering at the mere thought. "I can't wait for all this to be over. I want my life back."

" _Your old life?_ "

"Not specifically my old life – just one where I'm not constantly looking over my shoulder when I'm out in public. One where I don't need to check the door is locked before undressing. One where I can just be me – the happy me."

" _I wish I could make things better for you_."

Brittany chuckled a little. "You have no idea how much I want to make things better for myself."

Even though Brittany knew she had no chance at a normal relationship with Santana, it didn't stop her from imagining one. Just talking to her now and hearing her voice come through the phone just made everything better. She may not be rid of her stepfather yet, but she can imagine how easy life would be if she moved to Lima without all her issues dragging things down. She would be able to kiss Santana – which technically she is able to do now – and they could cuddle and touch one another. If things started to progress they could eventually have a sexual relationship but, after everything that has happened, that's just imagining things. Nothing in her life would ever be easy again.

" _What are you thinking about?_ " Santana questioned causing Brittany to come out of her thoughts. " _You've been quiet_."

"I was thinking about you – and us."

She knew just by the silence she'd succeeded in making her smile. " _What about me and – us?_ "

"Just that I wish we met under different circumstances," Brittany answered, resting a hand on her stomach. "I just wish I was normal. That I didn't have all this extra baggage.

" _Britt – I don't care about all of that. I like you for who you are_."

"Then you must be crazy."

" _Well,_ _I guess that is a little_ _true. However_ _, I didn't mean as a bad thing. You have a past, yes, but who doesn't? It may not seem like it_ _now,_ _but things like this always make you stronger as a person. I bet you are completely different to the person you were, but I know you're stronger for it_."

Brittany didn't have any words. She knew Santana was right because, as per usual, she knew exactly what to say. No matter what happened in the past, it was as though Santana wasn't going to judge her for any of it. How did she end up so lucky to get this beautiful girl in her life? From Brittany's view on everything, it was as though she got through all that bullshit in Phoenix so she could come and meet Santana. Brittany believes every person who enters your life is there for a reason, and Santana happened to be the best person she could have met. How on Earth did she get so lucky?

"I'm lucky you're in my life."

There was a pause while Santana processed what had just been said. Brittany meant it though – no one else she knew would have done the things Santana had. Heck, they would have probably given up trying to befriend her, but Santana never did. She persisted and now look at them – it amazed Brittany every time she thought of it.

" _I'm lucky you're in my life too, Britt. You're helping me figure out who I am and I couldn't be more grateful if I tried_." Santana admitted surprising the blonde. She had no idea the impact she had on the Latina too. " _I may not be out the closet just yet, but I'm getting there slowly_."

"I'm proud you're figuring out the real you, Santana. Everyone is going to love you even more for being honest with yourself. For being who you really are." Brittany knew this from personal experience. No one batted an eyelid when people found out she liked both men and women, but that was mostly due to her reputation at school. Her real friends, however, told her they were proud. They loved her no matter what and that included sexuality. "You'll realize how much lighter your shoulders become afterwards."

" _You'll be there when I'm ready?_ "

Brittany sat up on her bed with a smile. "With a hand held out for you to take. You're not alone."

" _Neither are you, Britt_."

The next few days seemed to carry on as normal aside from the fact the police began patrolling the area to a greater extent. After finding out the message, the police requested Brittany to tell them if Jason ever tried to contact her. Doesn't matter how big or small as it will all help in the capture of him. John, her grandfather, had been into the school to give a picture of Jason, so they all know what to do if they see him and under no circumstances is he allowed to go anywhere near her. Ever since the conversation, Brittany has noticed just how much the teachers seem to be keeping a watchful eye on her. It's as though they feel sorry for her and she doesn't need that. Even Mr Schue in Glee Club has been doing the same. Luckily, in there she is able to ignore the looks by focusing her attention on Santana. Brittany understood the reasoning, but that didn't mean she had to enjoy it. Frankly, it was as though wherever she happened to be in school, a teacher had an eye on her.

On another note, Glee Club had been going really well. She had no idea dancing freely would feel so good – okay that's a lie. She knew what it was like and had definitely missed it. Being able to dance around the room was something she hadn't been able to do for a while and for it to feel so good too? Even better. Mike danced around with her the most and understood her not wanting to be touched. She didn't tell him anything about what was going on, but she did tell him she hated to be touched and he took it in his stride – no questions asked. Brittany loved it since they did dance well together. The Glee Club seemed to love her dancing too – they always joined in when she decided to dance to a song. The boy in the wheelchair, which Brittany failed to know the name of, watched her a lot more than the others. She hadn't decided whether or not to be creeped out yet.

With her backpack on her shoulder, Brittany gripped it as she walked through the hallway towards the cafeteria. History class finished early, and since she and Santana hadn't planned to meet for another fifteen minutes, food seemed like a good option while waiting. It wouldn't take much since all she had to do was get in there and out as quickly as possible without talking to anyone. With a deep breath, Brittany walked in making her way to the fridge looking at the selection the school was offering – it could have been better, honestly.

A hand on her shoulder caused Brittany to tense instantly. Her mother was right after all – any unprepared physical touch from another person caused her to retract. It wasn't any fault of her own, but, without a second thought, she turned around punching the person right in the face. It wasn't that she wanted to, but she'd have done anything to get that hand from her shoulder. The boy fell to the ground holding his nose making Brittany feel terrible. She just punched someone unprovoked. How the hell did it get to that? Teachers had been watching her all day, so maybe after feeling watched constantly, it brought back her uneasiness. She had never hurt another person unprovoked before.

"You bitch! What the fuck did you do that for?!" The boy snapped, glaring up at her. "You're crazy!"

Brittany clenched and unclenched her hand feeling the pain start to arise. She glared down at the boy. "Don't fucking touch me again."

"Miss Pierce!"

Looking up, Brittany saw the cheerleading coach walking in the direction of the scene which, apparently, students began to find interesting due to the gathering that began. Brittany picked up her backpack slinging it over her shoulder. "What? He touched me."

"Principal's office. Now."

With a roll of her eyes, Brittany walked past everyone back towards the corridor she came from. She doesn't see how this is all her fault – he's the one who touched her so, basically, he started it. It's obvious what he wanted anyway. He's a jock, and all they want is sex. Brittany may be attracted to men too, but he is definitely not her type. His ego would be too big for her to find attractive.

Walking into the Principal's office, Brittany sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk. She knew she'd probably be here to get suspended so may as well get it over with.

"Sue? What is this about?"

The coach pointed at her with what she suspected was a glare. "Brittany Pierce was caught punching another student in the cafeteria."

The Principal turned to her with a look of surprise. "Is this true, Miss Pierce?"

"Yes, but it's his own fault," Brittany responded with a shrug of her shoulder. "He touched my shoulder, and I bet you anything he was trying to hit on me or something."

"That gives you no reason to punch another student. I would like to request that she gets an immediate suspension."

Brittany shrugs once again. "Go ahead. She's only upset because it was one of the footballers. If it were another student, she wouldn't have cared."

With a sigh, the Principal put his hands on the desk. "Miss Pierce, we have a no tolerance for violence at McKinley High."

"Oh, but when the footballers and cheerleaders go around throwing slushies at people, it's not frowned upon. You only give a damn because it was a footballer." Brittany snapped standing up. "Want to suspend me, go ahead. Get my grandfather in. Get my mother in. I don't give a shit because this school has double standards when it comes to bullying apparently."

"Slushies are not on the list of weapons so I'm afraid so my hands are tied regarding that. However, you punched another person unprovoked and that I can do something about." The Principal said, shaking his head. "I'm afraid I do have to suspend you. I'm sorry. I will call your family and let them know the situation."

Brittany pressed her lips together. "Fine but I can tell you my grandpa is going to be furious." Turning her head, she glared at the cheerleading coach. "Just so you know, I beat your asses two years in a row when I lived in Phoenix. Your cheerleading team sucks."

Coach Sue gasped a little before glaring back at her. "You take that back."

"Never."

With a smirk, Brittany walked out of the office feeling happier at that moment than she had all day.

Once she had walked out of the office, Brittany walked right into someone forgetting to look where she was going. With her hands on the other person's arm, she noticed Santana right away with a worried look on her face.

"Hey, Santana. What's that face for?"

Santana looked at the blonde for a few seconds shaking her head. "Have you heard someone punched one of the footballers in the nose? It's broken from what I've heard."

"I have actually because that was me," Brittany confessed with a shrug sitting down on the chairs outside beckoning Santana to join. "I actually just got suspended for it. Coach Sue saw the whole thing, and I still got in trouble for it. Grandpa is going to be furious."

"Come on – I'm sure he won't be that mad at you."

Brittany laughed shaking her head. "Not at me – the school. He asked them to keep an eye on me, so he's not going to be happy I've been suspended."

Santana's fingers traced the inside of Brittany's wrist as they sat looking at the wall in front of them. Without a second thought, Brittany slid her fingers through Santana's squeezing her hand with a smile.

"You'll be fine. It will be a few days at most, and my phone will be on so you can text me whenever you want."

The Latina bit her lip looking at their fingers. Brittany went to pull away when Santana gripped her hand keeping their hands locked together. It felt right; neither of them wanted to pull away. However, students would be filling the corridors soon since they wouldn't stay in the cafeteria forever.

"I'm not the one we should be worried about." Santana looked down the corridor tracing her fingers along Brittany's arm. "I guess I'm just going to miss you."

Looking down the corridor too, Brittany pulled her hand back tilting Santana's head back, so their gazes were on each other before brushing their lips together. It may have been a risky move, especially for Santana, but due to the suspension, it wasn't as though she'd be around for her. Just as Brittany was about to pull back, Santana's hand went to the back of her neck keeping their lips together. Tilting her head, Santana moved her lips against the blonde's first which gave Brittany the confirmation to move hers too. She felt her heart beat faster as they kissed and the feeling was indescribable.

"I'd stop soon if I were you. Everyone has almost finished."

Pulling back, Santana looked to see Quinn standing there with a small smile on her lips. She couldn't help but blush biting her lower lip nervously. "Right. Thanks, Q."

The two girls stood up facing each other with a blush on their cheeks. Brittany made the first move stepping closer linking one of their hands together stroking the skin on Santana's hand. Looking up, she leaned in kissing Santana's cheek before leaning down picking up her backpack putting it back on her shoulder.

"I'll see you later."

Brittany and Santana's hand kept linked until Brittany was too far away and they had to let go. With one last look, Brittany walked out of the school with a sigh. How could she be so stupid? Punching another student is not the best way to keep low on the school status – it was one of the ways it raised as a matter of fact. It made everyone think you were tough and that boy's rep would definitely go down a little after being punched by a girl.

Great job, Brittany.

Turning a corner, Brittany felt a hard blow to the head before everything went black.

Santana had been trying to get a hold of Brittany all day. Since she left the school earlier that same day, Santana hadn't heard a thing from her. It was as though she went home and turned her phone off. Brittany had even said her phone would be on. Something must be seriously wrong because this behavior isn't Brittany at all. It was one of the main reasons behind why she happened to be outside the house where she was staying with her grandfather. Yes, it had only been a few hours, but that was still a few hours without a response of any kind. She would normally have text her to say she was tired, so she knew the reasons behind the silence.

Her mind was going a mile a minute that she didn't even realize she had knocked on the door until John answered. Like herself, he looked anxious and worried which couldn't be a good sign.

"Please tell me Brittany is with you," John said in which Santana shook her head regretfully.

"No, I thought she would be here. She's not responded to my messages."

John nodded before allowing her into the house. Brittany's mother was currently sat at the table with the same look as the both of them. It caused a sense of panic to go through Santana's body. Something must be wrong. Seriously wrong.

"Brittany never came home. We got a call from the school about the suspension, and we were prepared to see Brittany walk through that door hours ago, but she never turned up."

The breath seemed to go from Santana's lungs. Brittany's missing. She had never felt so scared in her life – how could this happen? Everyone was supposed to be looking out for her, and now she's gone. Who even knows where she could be? She began pacing trying to think of where she would be, but all of them knew the answer.

Jason.

No one wanted to say it out loud since it would make it real. Real enough to cause a sense of panic. Santana couldn't believe after so long he found her. What she also couldn't believe was how he had come so far just to get her back. He really must be sick in the head or something and needs to be arrested. Fuck, what was he planning? Santana knew full well she wouldn't be able to hold her emotions in if she came face to face with the man. God, she shouldn't have let her leave. After everything, how could she just let Brittany walk out of school unprotected? What the fuck was she thinking?

"I think we need to address the elephant in the room," John stated, folding his arms looking out the window before turning to them. "Jason has Brittany. That is the only reason she wouldn't come home. She's terrified most of the time and doesn't trust anyone aside from you, Santana. He saw the perfect opportunity and took it."

"Dad, stop it," Whitney pleaded looking at her father. "I don't want to think about what he wants with her."

Santana had no words. She knew John was right but to think about – no. The focus should be on finding Brittany. They needed to find her ASAP. To think about Brittany with that man just made her feel sick. She couldn't help but feel guilty, though. If only she made sure Brittany got home safely, then she wouldn't be living her nightmare. She would be here with them. How could something like this happen?

With that thought, the police walked into the house.

"What can you tell us?" John asked, addressing the officer in question. "Have you any clues to where she might be?"

"I'm afraid we don't. However, Mr Harris isn't able to get out of Lima since we have the place surrounded and we are checking everyone coming in and leaving." The officer explained. "Yes, we do have to search Lima thoroughly, but I can assure you, we have the best officers on the job."

"That means shit," Santana snapped marching in front of him. "He got into Lima under your watch, and now Brittany is with that bastard! If you caught him earlier, she wouldn't be with him!"

"Miss, I assure you, we will find her. I am well aware someone let him into Lima, and we are doing a thorough investigation into how that was possible. We will find her. I promise you."

Santana glared stepping back. "Don't promise me anything. Just bring her back alive and untouched."

No more words were said as none were needed before the officer left the house. The three of them just stood in silence praying Brittany was okay.

Santana moved to stand by the window closing her eyes to try and keep her emotions in check. Once she opened her eyes again, her gaze lifted to the sky before whispering quietly.

"Brittany, please don't let him beat you."


	17. Seventeen

Something didn't seem right. Brittany always knew when she was in a place of safety compared to being in danger. This happened to be one of those times. There's always a smell about her grandfather's home that couldn't be accurately explained, but it helped her know every morning that she remained in the same place; that she hadn't been kidnapped in the night by Jason. A ridiculous thought at the end of the day, but it made her feel safe and secure. Something Brittany needed. It didn't stop the nightmares or anything, but it at least helped when waking up in the morning or before falling asleep at night. It wasn't only the smell of the house which helped Brittany know her location – the room helped too. Whenever she woke up in the morning, there is a clock on the bedside table along with the picture of her family, and when that wasn't in her line of vision, the place wasn't familiar. It scared her and that included the time she woke up at Santana's house. Freaking out would usually have been the first thing to do, however, seeing the Latina helped keep her calm. It hadn't been the first time Santana kept her at peace, and it won't be the last.

Brittany woke up from her slumber to a throbbing head. The last thing she remembered was walking home after being suspended and then nothing. Zilch. How could she not remember a few hours ago? She couldn't have hit her head that hard, surely. There were no loose branches on the walk home so it couldn't be possible. There was another option, of course, but Brittany didn't want to think about that. It's too painful to remember, and it would cause panic to take over. Not the best idea, that's for sure. With her head in pain, her vision tried to piece together the location. Through her blurred view of the room, she didn't recognize anything; her heart pounded faster at the knowledge. Brittany had no idea where she could be, which meant one thing.

Jason had succeeded.

Sitting up faster than she probably should have, Brittany looked around. The walls were white and dull, and aside from the bed, there wasn't any other furniture. A metal toilet was in the corner of the room near the bed and, from the look of it, it looks the same as the ones they use in prison cells. Fuck, where the hell had he brought her? Standing up, Brittany walked a few steps before noticing a chain rattling as she did. Looking down, metal cuffs were attached to her ankles, and they couldn't be pried open from what Brittany could see. They could only be unlocked with a key. Black in color, rusty and the chain seemed to be attached to the bed. Testing it, Brittany walked a few steps towards the toilet and they only just reached. Well, at least the monster allowed her to pee if needed. She wouldn't even consider that option considering Jason had to be watching her every move. Looking around once her vision fully cleared from blurriness, Brittany saw one problem; only one door in and out of the room. Aside from that, she was stuck. He had chosen a place with no windows and just one entrance and exit, so she had no chance of escape. Shit.

Walking two or three steps back to the bed, which is all Jason allowed, Brittany took a seat taking note of the surroundings. Frankly, she was surprised Jason even let her stand up since she always assumed he would tie her to the bed or something. Maybe he is trying to be nice and look after her which is bullshit since they went past that years ago. Kidnapping someone doesn't really show you care for them – more obsessed than anything. One thing that Brittany couldn't comprehend is why Jason kidnapped her in broad daylight after hitting her over the head? Surely that is the worst thing he could have done since anyone could have seen them and reported it. However, when Brittany really thinks about it, she knows he probably planned a time where not many police officers were around. They would have been around the edges of Lima looking for him. God, why did he have to be a smart one?

Footsteps. That's all Brittany could focus on. They were coming from behind the door that led to the room and even though Brittany wanted to at least try and escape, it was pointless. Jason's strong and spent years breaking her down making it almost impossible to stand up to him. She knew the person stood behind the door that led to the room. Every time she and Jason were in the same place together, whether that be her house or his car, her nose could only focus on the cigarettes and alcohol surrounding him, which made her cringe every time. She hated the smell so much it actually kept her clean from doing all that stuff herself. Turning around on the bed, Brittany maintained a watchful eye on the door not being able to look anywhere else with the loud footsteps moving closer. The sound of Jason's shoes hitting laminated flooring caused her chest to get tighter. Breathing became difficult with how scared she had become. Was Brittany ready to face the man who created all that pain? It didn't look like she would have much of choice. Maybe tricking him into letting her go would work.

From the sounds Brittany could hear, someone put a key into the lock before unlocking the door. The unlocking noise sounded loud, so the door must be substantial. Well, either that or it's a kind of lock she hadn't seen before. With a creek, the door opened and there stood Jason Harris wearing a long black buttoned-up coat, formal trousers and a pair of shoes which look formal too. He couldn't be wearing a suit underneath that jacket, surely. Well, from Brittany's understanding of the man, it wouldn't surprise her in the slightest. No one suspected a well-dressed individual since it looks as though they have everything going for them. His black hair looked presentable too with a bit of hair gel in there to keep it in place. On top of all that, he had shaved for once to add to the charm he was going for. Noticing the man's hair, he must have dyed it to disguise himself along with the fake glasses. It didn't matter what he did to his appearance – no matter what, he is still the same man. The same one who abused her for years kidnapped and chained her to this bed keeping her prisoner.

Taking off the glasses, Jason looked at her with the same look which always made her feel uncomfortable. Undressing her with just that stare – it gave her an uneasy feeling. Brittany refused to look away from him. She's not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her discomfort. She was done being a victim and now couldn't be a better time to fight back. She refused to give up. Getting back safely had to be the main priority. If there's one thing Brittany wanted more than anything, it was getting Jason locked away. The blonde stared at her stepfather propping up her legs before wrapping her arms around them. Confidence; she could fake that.

"I've waited so long for this moment, Brittany," Jason breathed out looking up at the ceiling with a look of pleasure as though he had won something before reverting his gaze back to her. "You hide extremely well."

"Well, I always got told how skilled I am at hide and seek." Brittany met the man's eyes maintaining eye contact. "You're shit at it from what I've seen so far."

He chuckled shaking his head. "I see you've grown confidence since we've been apart. Something to do with that 'friend' of yours."

"Oh, you mean my girlfriend? Yeah, she has helped a little," Brittany shrugged impressed with the lie before smirking. "Jealous?"

"It's cute how you think you can get to me, Brittany," Jason took a few steps closer looking at her current outfit. "I do prefer your cheerleader outfit."

"Well that sucks for you then, doesn't it?" Refusing to back down, Brittany wasn't about to give up on the life she had built with him gone. She certainly wasn't going back to being a scared little girl. Yes, fear took over with the man in front of her, but that didn't mean he had to know. "I'm no longer a cheerleader nor do I plan on being a cheerleader again."

"That's a shame. One of my favorite looks was seeing you in your cheerleader outfit. It did wonders for you."

Brittany rolled her eyes looking away. She knew of his creepy obsession with her but never knew how far he'd go. To be honest, it wasn't something that played on her mind a lot as she didn't want to think about him. Jason was creepy enough without needing to know the extent. Ever since they met, he always had a particular look about him which made her suspicious. When living back in Phoenix, Brittany had to try and figure him out, so she knew whether to be afraid of him. The suspicions she had turned out to be correct, and now they were in the same room once again. Not by choice in her case. Turning her head to look at him once again, she couldn't help but take note of how much closer he had gotten.

"If you even think about touching me, I will kill you myself," Brittany threatened with a glare on her face moving closer to the edge of the bed. "I went through that nightmare once; I don't plan on going through that again."

Jason seemed to process Brittany's threat, but it didn't mean he was going to listen to any of it. Why would he care? He put her through that nightmare and Brittany knows he didn't regret any of it. The only thing Jason possibly regretted is not being able to catch her before successfully running away from him and her life in Phoenix. Brittany's life changed the day her train arrived in Lima, and it had only continued to get better. Santana had helped a lot with that as well as her grandpa being there to offer her a home to live in. She would be in the same state if it weren't for them.

"It's funny how you think you have the upper hand," Jason said, running a finger down Brittany's face making it harder to not show any fear. He leaned in whispering into her ear; close enough to feel his breath. "I control this. Anything that happens is because I allow it to. You better get used to this room because I can assure you, I am not letting you leave. You're mine."

Without another word, Jason pulled back walking out of the room locking it behind him. Brittany, on the other hand, had no words. Any sort of movement seemed impossible from the fear he had just instilled in her. Jason had gotten even more dangerous – she could tell by the way Jason spoke. He had stated how he wasn't letting her go and Brittany knew he was being serious. How the hell was she going to escape this time?

xxx

Santana awoke with the smell of Brittany surrounding her. Slowly opening her eyes, Santana looked around noticing she woke up in Brittany's room. Brittany, of course, was nowhere in sight after being kidnapped by her stepfather, Jason Harris. God, if only she were in front of him, then she would be able to show that pathetic excuse of a man what it felt like to be scared – not before hurting him in some way, of course. Sitting up, Santana couldn't help but worry. With Brittany being in Jason's clutches, she had no idea what would happen to the blonde. Frankly, it scared her after hearing what that man did to her back in Phoenix. If Jason could do that once, there was a possibility it could happen again. Maybe an even more significant chance since they hadn't been around each other for a good few months.

Worry. Fear. Those were the only emotions Santana could focus on. Running fingers through her hair, she stood making her way to the door when it opened itself. Jolting in surprise, she came face to face with Brittany's mother, Whitney.

"Santana. You're awake after all."

The Latina nodded in response folding her arms in the process. "I won't be able to sleep properly until Brittany is safe out of Jason's clutches. God only knows what he has done with her."

"You aren't the only one, honey," Whitney said, walking into the room looking at the walls, "I should have protected her more. I'm her mother and that – _pathetic_ – human being got hold of my little girl."

"You couldn't have done anything differently, Whitney," Santana said, taking a step closer to the woman putting a hand on her arm. "Brittany got suspended and decided to walk home, so he probably took that opportunity to take her. It pains me to say it, but me, the police nor you or John could have saved her."

The blonde sighed nodding. "I know, I know. It doesn't mean I don't wish we could have."

"Brittany is tough; I know this from being around her so much. If anything, this ideal will help us catch the bastard and lock him up." Santana gives Whitney a smile of encouragement trying to believe her own words.

It isn't that she believes the situation came about for a reason, it's just it was bound to happen, and at the end of it all, they will catch Jason. Plus, Santana has heard men like Jason aren't exactly accepted in prison which makes her feel a lot better. She could have heard wrong, of course, but having that thought made Santana feel a lot better. Especially since Jason wasn't getting out of this situation without an arrest being made. She just hoped Brittany stayed positive during this whole ideal and didn't let him get to her.

"I know you're right, but I can't help but worry about her. If Jason could hide years of abuse from me, who knows what else he could do?"

Santana shudders at the thought. "I don't even want to imagine – all I want is for Brittany to come back safe."

"You and me both," Whitney admits with a small smile looking around the room once again. "She really didn't personalize this much, did she?"

Shaking her head, Santana looked around the room too noticing the exact same thing. She never questioned it when Brittany brought her before, but her focus was on the blonde instead of the walls. "I think she did it as a way to protect herself."

"We can't blame her for that after what that monster put her through," Whitney said, with a shake of her head. "How are we going to find her? What are we supposed to do? Search every abandoned building in Lima until we hope to find her?"

Santana pressed her lips in thought. "That's not the worst idea. I mean, he can't have gone out of Lima due to the police surrounding the entrances and exits. He would have surely panicked a little about possibly being seen and would have wanted to get somewhere secluded fast."

"How on earth do you know that?"

"My dad watches a lot of cop shows when he's home, so I watch them too," Santana admitted with hints of a blush forming on her cheeks." That's not important though. What is important is finding Brittany."

"You're right. We should probably look at the areas near the school," Whitney said walking towards the door, "Also informing the police would be a good idea."

Knowing Jason had Brittany trapped somewhere made Santana very nervous. What if he did something? What if he had _already_ done something? Everything had been great the past few weeks, and now suddenly this man takes her out of nowhere. How did this happen? Inside, Santana's fury with more than one person started to show itself. The police. Herself. The School. Brittany. This shouldn't have happened but, for some insane reason, it did. Now Brittany was currently with Jason, and suddenly anger took over her emotions. There was a little sadness in there but mainly anger. So many people had let Brittany down in the past, and Santana didn't plan on being added to that list. Santana knew Brittany had to be relying on her, even a little. Of course, Brittany is counting on her family on saving her and protecting her, but Santana knew the face in Brittany's mind was hers. The one person who had made an effort to gain trust and befriend her while living in Lima – there weren't many people who could say the same thing.

Looking around the room Brittany had stayed in the past few months, Santana noticed just how little she had personalized it. Of course, Whitney had picked up on it earlier, and she had responded, but it wasn't until now how the plain walls stood out. One thing stood out in the room which showed little sign that Brittany had some life – the family picture on the bedside table which seemed to have been moved from the last time she saw it herself. It must have been placed there so Brittany could see it every morning. There might be another reason, but that's the only one Santana thought of which made sense. After gaining her trust, she wasn't comfortable finding things out about Brittany without her around or from someone else. It didn't feel right.

Reverting her gaze, Santana saw one of Brittany's jackets on the bed. She couldn't help picking it up holding it against her chest enjoying how it still smelled of her. The way the material felt and how it smelled of her helped clear Santana's mind. All she could think about is if Brittany is okay and if she's safe. She had no idea what she would do if something terrible happened – her mind couldn't drift that far. It was impossible to think about without getting upset over the concept. Without a second thought, Santana pulled the hoodie over her head. With Brittany being taller than herself, it was a little big, but that's bound to happen when someone is taller than you. The smell surrounded Santana and she knew she wouldn't be taking it off for a while. Not until they found or at least heard from Brittany anyway.

"Are you okay, Santana?" Whitney asked, watching the young girl surround herself with her daughter's clothing. "It's okay to not be okay. I feel the same."

Santana turned around nodding, feeling the material against her body. "I miss her. Ever since she came here, and we started hanging out, I never gave up on her. She means the world to me and – well – I really like her. I'm not exactly out at school or anything, but I just – I wish she was here. I wish I could hug her and kiss her and – just be in her arms. She's different to everyone else, and I love that."

Whitney smiles. "She is different, you're right, but that's one of her best qualities. Even after what happened she still finds a way to get out of bed and – be around people. I know she got suspended for punching some guy, but that's the first time after being there months that she's resorted to violence according to John."

"She's never hit anyone, but the guy was trying to hit on her from what I heard then touched her, so you can't blame Brittany for what she did," Santana said in Brittany's defense stepping back and sitting on the bed. "She doesn't interact much with other people but just seeing her come down the hallway made my day. Seeing her smile in my direction with her backpack over her shoulder…god she always looked so beautiful."

"Well, it seems like you really do like my daughter."

Santana raises her head. "I do. She helped me see who I really am, and I've helped her deal with everything she has been going through. We help each other."

"Do you love her?" Whitney asked, folding her arms leaning against the door frame causing Santana to look at Whitney biting her lip.

"I haven't really thought about it. I mean I love how I feel when I'm around Brittany, she's always on my mind and she's the one person who can always make me smile so – I'm not sure." Shrugging her shoulders, Santana looked down at her fingers. "Love is a big word to say to another person."

"It is, but we can't help how we feel," Whitney said, walking over to sit on Brittany's bed taking a seat next to the Latina. "Did you know Brittany had a girlfriend before moving to Lima?"

Santana shook her head. "She hasn't told me much about her before Lima."

"That doesn't surprise me in the slightest," Reaching into her pocket, Santana watched as Whitney got out a picture handing it to her. "That is Brittany and her ex-girlfriend, Isla. See the similarity?"

Looking closely, Isla looked a lot like her aside from the skin tone. "She's pretty."

"Very. Brittany adored her, and I'm pretty sure she must have broken her own heart a little to run here instead of stay there to be with her girlfriend."

Santana took one last look before handing it back. "Why did you show me this? Are you trying to make me feel bad or something?"

Whitney shakes her head putting her hand on Santana's knee. "No, sweetie. What I am trying to say to you is even though Brittany had a good life which she left behind, I honestly believe she came here to get a better one. She even broke up with the girl she loved to be here, and even though I know that was mainly due to my husband, I believe she prefers it here."

"Yeah – because it makes her feel safe."

"No. You live here."

Blushing, Santana shook her head. "She wouldn't just prefer Lima because of me."

"Maybe not, but I know you are the main reason she wants to stay," Whitney said, standing up turning to face the Latina. "Plus, let's be honest, who is Brittany going to be thinking of right now? Her family or you?"

That made Santana think. Surely Brittany would be thinking of John and Whitney but, of course, Santana knew the likelihood of her being the main contributor to Brittany's mind. They had a special connection which Santana nor Brittany would be able to deny. Looking up to tell Whitney, she realized the woman was no longer in the room.

Smiling, Santana laid back on the bed gripping the hoodie she had put on.

Brittany was going to be okay.

Allowing Jason to break her down again couldn't be an option, and Santana knew it – she knew Brittany being in Lima had helped gain the confidence she had missed after being under the watchful eye of her stepfather. Believing Brittany would come back okay was the only thing keeping Santana from crying and right now wasn't a good time to break down.

Looking to the side, the picture of the Pierce family stood in its frame. Santana remembers Brittany explanation; taken before her parent's divorce. Back when things were easier. How can one person go from a family life that is safe and secure to one which is terrifying and dangerous? Brittany did nothing wrong, but apparently, her life happened to be guided into one involving abuse and a controlling stepfather. How did that work? Santana hated that she couldn't protect her and now had no way of knowing where the hell she currently was.

Santana could only hang onto the hope that the police would find Brittany soon

And fast.

xxx

It could have been hours, or days, and Brittany wouldn't know the difference. After Jason left the room, all she decided to do is lay back on the bed, feet propped up looking up at the ceiling. There wasn't a lot to do in a room with only a bed and a toilet inside so Brittany made the decision to look relaxed instead of in fear about what Jason could possibly do. There's no point in being uncomfortable, and the bed is there for a reason – may as well enjoy the smallest bit of comfort provided. The cuffs around her ankles felt heavy, dirty and the rust rubbed against her skin. Not the best feeling in the world that's for sure. That wasn't even the worst thing about being in the room; Jason having unlimited access had to be the worst part. Brittany had imagined the situation before, but the difference between real life and dreams is when you dream you get the chance to escape or be rescued by someone. In real life? Well, that's an entirely different scenario. Most people in real life don't find the victim, and they end up going through the same thing again. Brittany knows the chances of escaping are slim, so she can't even be her own hero unless she's able to steal the key from Jason which is, practically, an impossibility.

Right now, Santana is keeping her mind occupied, so she doesn't subdue to the current situation. It helps to distract herself with something, so she doesn't go insane. Staring at the same four walls didn't give her much to keep her from being bored. Brittany knew Jason was probably waiting for her to fall asleep, so he could sneak in and do something, however, she refused to give in. Not even the comfiest of beds would make her want to fall asleep in this room – no matter how tired she happened to be. Usually, to keep herself awake, Brittany would do homework, write in her journal or talk to Santana in some way. That's it – her phone. Searching her pockets, hoping for the best, Brittany tried to find her cellphone praying to god Jason didn't take it while she was knocked out earlier. Looking up at the ceiling, Brittany noticed a small black camera in the top corner of the room facing the bed which, of course, meant Jason had to be watching her. Brittany knew this was a possibility but knowing made it worse. Putting her hand in the last pocket of her jacket, she felt her phone which gave her a tremendous sense of relief. Jason apparently didn't look in every pocket if he searched her, to begin with.

Brittany knew she had to think this through carefully. Jason would be watching her every move meaning she had to pick a time during the day to send a message to let someone know she had been captured. The issue with that was she had no idea of her location or if this place even had a signal. Not only that, Jason could find out and take away her phone altogether, and she really needed to keep it as long as physically possible. If she had even the slimmest chance of being able to text Santana or her family, then she would take that opportunity. No question about it. Now to figure out when the best time to do that is.

"How are you enjoying your new room?"

Turning her head towards the door faster than anticipated caused the blonde to get whiplash making her neck cramp in pain. She cupped her neck trying to rub out some of the soreness while also trying to figure out when Jason had opened the door. It's a massive door so how did he make that open quietly? She really must have been in her own thoughts to not hear it.

"Fantastic – just where I want to be; in a tiny room with plain walls and a toilet beside the bed. You really hit the nail on the head with this one," Brittany responded, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "In other words, let me go so I can go back to my life without you in it."

The man chuckled shaking his head. "I own you now, Brittany Pierce. You are not going anywhere."

"I am nobody's property thank you very much," Brittany sighed laying back on the bed with her hands on her face. "You really should go after people your own age instead of kidnapping high school kids away in a room cuffing them to the bed."

"That is for your own good. We wouldn't want you running away with the possibility of getting hurt."

Brittany looked up at the man in disbelief. "Are you fucking kidding me right now? You caused all the pain I've suffered the past four years! Don't make out that you're protecting me when we both know that is complete bullshit!"

"I would calm down if I were you, Brittany," Jason stated calmly, putting his hands behind his back.

"What, going to rape me again, are you?" Brittany laughed looking up at the man who made her life a misery. "I went through that for three and a half years so do your worst."

Walking over to the bed, Jason pressed his hands into the mattress leaning over her with a smirk on his face. "You have no idea what my worst is. I'm in charge, not you. Remember that. Your family isn't going to find you, and neither is your little girlfriend."

As Jason leant towards her further, Brittany brought her knee up hard to his crotch causing Jason to groan in pain. She noticed him gripping the bed hard before standing up holding his hands over his crotch. Brittany couldn't help but be a little pleased with herself at the quick thinking.

"You fucking bitch," Jason hissed glaring at her. "You will pay for that."

Brittany laughed as he made his way out of the room slamming the door closed causing Brittany to flinch. The angrier that man got, the more dangerous he became meaning Brittany had to think fast. With Jason distracted, it was the perfect opportunity to text someone so, without a second to lose, she quickly got her phone and began texting keeping her eye on the door at the same time. It was only a matter of time before he came back, so it had to be now, so Brittany text the one person she knew had their phone on them all the time.

Plus, they were bound to be with her family trying to help find her meaning her mother and grandfather would find out too. This would all connect to the police assisting in their search for her, for sure.

Right?


End file.
